Hellsing: Strong Blood
by Robert Falcon
Summary: Two years have passed since Matt's loss of control.  As a new threat emerges, and new allies join the fight, will Hellsing be able to weather the rocky road ahead? Sequel to Hellsing: Demon Force. Complete
1. Prologue

Greetings to you all!

First off, I know that I've been silent for a good… year. And I'll admit, I was hoping to have this completed a while ago. As I mentioned elsewhere on this site, I lost a month of my summer, then classes started up and have been eating up much of my time. (Though with five engineering classes, I really shouldn't be surprised about that, should I?)

Still, I have good news. Thanks to the whole taking a year thing, this story is complete. (Well, 99.9 percent. I'll be doing a final proof read as I post chapters.) So, you won't have to wait six months for the next chapter to be written. (Just the next story.)

I'll probably take a bit of a pause before I start writing the next one. The next couple weeks are gonna be packed. But I've got basic plot concepts written for stories five, six, and seven. I'm also planning a complete rewrite for Demon Force, as I'm sure we all know it needs the help. (Not kicking myself in the teeth, or anything. I didn't have enough in mind when I started writing it. This should at least partially fix that.) For now, I've got modified versions of all three previous stories that I'll post tomorrow, once I'm out of my classes. (Fixing grammar errors, Anderson's name, name updates, etc.) Once those are up, I'll start posting the rest of this one. (Consider this short bit a teaser for the rest of the story.)

Due to a recent review for "A New Child" (Thanks again to MindAsylum!), there's another note I'd like to include here. The primary basis for my little series is the first six episodes of the thirteen episode original anime series. I may expand on that to include other things, depending on how my writing progresses. My knowledge of vampire lore is, I will admit, a little on the slim side. What I know comes mainly from movies I've seen, and it seems that each movie comes up with its own play on the concept.

So, I do understand that the stories I've written probably don't follow a lot of the mainstream vampire lore. I'm not exactly apologizing for it, as I'm sure the ideas I introduce in this story probably won't bring me any closer to that mainstream, but I did want to let folks know I'm aware of what I've done here. I consider this all to be an alternate universe story. Not to say that I can do anything I want, but I feel I can alter the rules a little here and there so long as I remain consistent with myself.

Well, that gets a majority of my notes out of the way. If I forgot something, I'll catch it in later chapters. For now, on with the show! I hope you all enjoy.

Oh, and before I forget, I don't own Hellsing. Never have, never will. I do own the stuff I added to the universe, but the universe itself isn't mine. I'm just playing in it.

And a more general disclaimer: Any copyrighted material borrowed for this story is owned by the folks who own it. I'm not making any claims on it, and I'm not going to make a cent on this story. It's just written for fun; for my enjoyment, and hopefully the enjoyment of others.

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Rebecca peeked through the slits of the closet door, praying no one would see where she was hiding. The way out was in sight… She just needed to get to it. Nervous sweat had plastered her auburn hair to her head, which she tried to keep drawn back from her eyes.

The people in this house which had been her prison for… God knew how long… looked military. All were armed. They seemed to answer to a civilian… a woman named Nasori. But if they were there for the reason she'd figured, she wouldn't want them to find her.

He'd seemed like a kind old man… Why the hell had she helped him?

She forced herself to calm. Bad as the situation was, getting all panicky would only make it worse. She needed to figure out her next move… It was something like a week before that her life had turned into hell. One moment, she's helping this harmless looking old fart with some chores around his house. Somehow she'd stumbled; twisted her ankle. He took her inside so she could sit and let it rest before calling home for help, and…

She really couldn't remember what happened. But ever since then she'd done everything she could to avoid him. He seemed content to wait. There was nowhere she could run to and, as he'd put it, she would come to see things his way.

But that all changed earlier that evening. She'd gotten this feeling of… danger. She hid in the closet. Suddenly the door was broken down and the soldiers entered. They shot the old man. From her hiding place, she saw him fall to ashes. She knew she would be next if they found her.

All she knew was that she needed to run. She had no idea who she could trust… or who she could trust herself around… She had money, or at least access to it. She could run, get to the airport, and get on whichever flight she could get on next. Hide where no one could find her.

The woman, Nasori, looked at her closet. She held her breath, praying Nasori wouldn't look there. Nasori blinked, shook her head, and hearing an "all clear" report from one of the soldiers ordered them to pull out and call in a clean team. The soldiers left, followed by Nasori. Nasori gave one last look over her shoulder, and disappeared. The door remained open.

Rebecca didn't need any better invitation to run.


	2. Chapter 1

Well, I've got the upgraded versions of the older stories posted, so all the little grammatical errors should be gone. (Paving the way for a whole host of new ones, I'm sure.) So, if you ever get nostalgic and decide to read them, they should be a little easier to get through.

Today I found out just how packed my next couple weeks will be. Basically, I'll be able to post chapters of Strong Blood, but it'll be a bit before I can start any new projects.

Oh well, you didn't come here to listen to me gripe. Enjoy the story.

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Matt slowly made his way up the concrete ramp, moving in a crouch to keep by the low wall; the only available cover. A sniper rifle was clutched in his hands, and it was the only thing standing between Matt and death. He swung around, finding a spot of the wall that dipped just low enough to aim through. He peered through the scope, aiming back and forth through his somewhat limited but hopefully well defended vantage point.

Carefully, he examined every nook and cranny he could get the crosshairs on. There were far too many places in this old power station someone with experience could hide and still be quite deadly. He paused mid swing. 'Hang on…' He turned back. There had been movement as he'd passed a darkened alcove. And there was his foe, his sniper rifle already lined up. Matt tried desperately to bring his own weapon to bear and pull the trigger, but as the crosshairs turned red the other's rifle jumped with recoil, its package of death flying through Matt's skull.

"Ah, dammit to Hell!"

Matthew Jemeth watched as 'Jemmatt', his trusty Spartan, fell to the dusty ground with a burst of red from his faceshield. The score came up, and Nekbrekr had scored the winning point. Matt sighed as the screen faded to black, the rendition of 'Last Resort', based on the older 'Zanzibar', being replaced with the final scoreboard. There was a flash from the speaker icon next to Nekbrekr's score. "Ha, ha. Boooom," came his voice from the TV speaker. At least he wasn't a prepubescent kid. Sounded about the same age as Matt.

Or at least the age Matt appeared to be. One of the perks of being a vampire was that you'd look the age you were turned for as long as you survived, for the most part. The trials of the past five years had added some wear to his original nineteen, but he still looked no older than twenty-one. Matt sighed and checked the microphone was close enough to his mouth. "Yeah, well, it's about time you caught up. I've been ahead of you for a good couple months now."

"Eh, shut up… jerk…" Matt didn't consider it a lame comeback. That was one of Nekbrekr's standard replies, and Matt's weren't much better. Matt had met him a few months back when he'd first started playing Halo 3 on Xbox Live. They'd had something of a friendly war going on ever since.

Matt checked the time. "Sorry, Nekky, but I gots ta run. Same time tomorrow?"

"Works. Later, man."

"Later." Without further ceremony, Matt reached out with a toe and hit the Xbox 360's power button. He had about fifteen minutes before he needed to be in Sir Integra's office for the mission brief, meaning he had just enough time to get ready. He'd let the match run later than he'd intended, but he could make it. He got up, set the controller on top of the television, and started to the closet.

It had been a couple years since his 'vacation' as they had come to call the time he'd gone crazy and evil. Things had gotten a lot better since then. His room looked like someone actually lived there. His computer still sat against one wall, but next to it sat the TV and the 360. He had a small collection of novels, and a number of 'dust collectors' from home sitting next to the collection of bullet casings. Near the door hung Amenthyl. While he kept the broadsword around, he'd retired it from combat.

He got changed, pulling on a pair of blue jeans, a pair of short boots, and a leather jacket over his green t-shirt. It wasn't quite the getup he'd worn during his vacation, but the leather jacket actually worked better than his old jean and cloth one. This jacket had the Hellsing coat on arms on each shoulder. Across the back was the 'Valkyrie' symbol used in Halo multplayer. It was a sword flanked by wings, all in white. Over it, in orange, were stitched the words "So That Others May Live". Pulling on his shoes, he slipped from the room and started down the corridor.

The missions had changed a bit as well. Seras and Alucard were pulling a lot more missions together, and actually working together to silence the target. It was something Matt had seen coming, considering how close they'd grown. But Matt still missed the missions he and Seras used to do. They'd made a good team. Now and then they still pulled missions together, which he enjoyed.

One thing that had changed little was headquarters. The basement corridors were still the rough stone they'd always been. Many of the same faces were around. It had been quiet over the last couple years, and with three vampires to work with the human troops weren't often put at risk. And when they were, Matt was right there beside them. Matt had kinda grown to love it. Looking across a hallway to where a couple others were taking cover, just waiting for him to lead the charge against a number of ghouls put in the way of their target. Well, it wasn't just the combat part he liked, but other parts of the job as well.

He jogged up the stairs to the main floor, then up the next flight to Sir Integra's office. Yet another part of the place that hadn't changed much. Sometimes the books on her shelves would rotate out and the curtains may not always be closed, but Sir Integra was a creature of habit. And she was perfect for the job of ruling over her organization with an iron fist.

Fargason, one of the long time leaders within the organization, stood before the gathered group. Walter, retainer of the organization and Sir Integra's assistant, confidant, right hand, and friend, stood at Sir Integra's side. Sir Integra herself sat in the armchair of her desk. Also present was Seras Victoria. She smiled as he entered, and he smiled back. She was a long time friend of his, and his master, though that part had been downplayed long ago. Harison, the field commander of the human troops, was not present. Matt didn't want to draw any conclusions, but he guessed that might have to do with the upcoming mission. He approached Sir Integra's desk and gave a respectful nod. "My apologies for the delay, Sir Integra. I'm ready for the briefing."

Sir Integra said nothing, simply gesturing to his usual spot beside Seras. She didn't give leeway often, but Matt asked for it so rarely that he didn't get yelled at much anymore. "Proceed," she said to Fargason.

Fargason's rumbling bass voice filled the room. "Recently we've been noticing a very strange trend. We'll get reports of vampire and ghoul activity, but by the time we're able to arrive and investigate the targets have already been silenced. We often find signs of a struggle, suggesting they were silenced… rather violently. How and why we have no idea, but tonight's mission will hopefully give us more information." He turned his gaze to the vampires in the audience. "I want to send Victoria and Jemeth to stake out, no pun intended, a likely target. If something happens, they'll move in and try to figure out what's going on."

Sir Integra considered for a moment, then nodded. "Mission approved. May God and her majesty go with you."

"Amen," muttered Seras and Matt in unison.

Matt followed Seras from the room, catching up with her on the way down the stairs. "So," he said with a smile, "together again, huh?"

"I wouldn't miss it," she replied. "You ready?"

"Of course." He gave a nod of greeting to one of the human troops heading the other way. Matt gave a moment for the soldier to pass out of earshot. "So, how's things with you and Alucard?"

She looked over her shoulder at him. "None of your business," she said. But the smile she said it with told him all he needed to know. Seras didn't want to go into details, but she was very happy and that was good enough for Matt. "How did your match go?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Eh, could've gone better," he admitted. The pair started down for the basement level. "I swear that guy does nothing but practice sniping, or something. Nine times out of ten, I never even see him."

"Well, with as quiet at things have been, you might get the chance to get in your own practice."

Matt chuckled. "True. Still, I'd rather just be able to gloat about having a life."

They approached the armory, the footsteps of Walter's hard-soled shoes echoing through the hallway behind them. They waited for his arrival, and with a nod of greeting followed him inside. Seras grabbed her usual loadout; a pair of fully automatic Glock 9mm pistols, and the 454 Casull, Joshua, formerly used by Alucard. Staying behind was her massive 30mm cannon, Harkonnen. At over 6 feet long, longer than she was tall, it was a little difficult to move through a building quickly, and speed may be very important for this mission.

Matt's arsenal would make up for the lack of the cannon's firepower. He carried a pair of mirrored Browning Hi-Power 9mm pistols at his hips and an Auto-Mag 44 magnum semi-auto under his jacket. On his back he wore a shotgun, a Remington SP-10 Magnum, modified to take a 20 round dual drum magazine. During his vacation he'd used a different shotgun he'd named Mauler. Like the leather jacket, it had its amount of effectiveness. This shotgun was a 10 gauge magnum, and he normally carried a couple magazines of silver slugs, one of silver shot, and one of high-explosive slugs. Not as potent at Seras's cannon, but better than nothing. He still used a backpack, holding the four magazines in easy reach and a rail to hold the shotgun.

As Seras slipped Joshua into its thigh holster, she turned to Matt. "I've been meaning to ask you. Why Matilda?"

Matt chuckled. In truth, he'd named his shotgun Matilda to help forget about the previous shotgun. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen had, for some reason, been on his mind that day. "Why not?" he replied. He whipped Matilda over his shoulder onto its frame, snapping it into place.

Seras let it go at that, and the pair moved out to meet one of Hellsing's transports. They'd been changing out a few of their vehicles, this one being a short-range electric powered van. It was much quieter than the old diesel transport, and would be able to take them very close to their destination before they would have to walk.

After waiting for the pair to get situated in the transport's aft compartment, the driver sped the vehicle off into the night. Their destination was in another part of London, but with traffic as light as it was that night they would arrive within a half hour.

Most of the trip was in silence. At this point, Seras and Matt were each in their own mental preparations. While their mission was to sit and wait for something to happen, sometimes that something was more potent than Fargason could anticipate. Suddenly, Seras's eyes shot open. She turned forward, looking at the window separating the driver from the passenger compartment. "Driver, please hurry," she said intently but controlled. "I can sense something happening to the target."

Matt stretched out his senses and picked up on what Seras was talking about. He couldn't put his finger on what was happening, but it was definitely out of the ordinary. The driver increased speed, whipping through the small streets of this part of residential London, coming to a stop a few minutes later a half-block away from the target. Matt could see Seras shaking her head. The ramp dropped, and Seras led the way in a run toward the target building. Matt followed, pulling Matilda out and loading a magazine of silver slugs. Seras charged up the front stairs of the old two-story house and kicked in the front door. She swept Joshua back and forth, Matt stepping in to cover her.

After a moment, she holstered the pistol. "It's gone," she said. "We're too late."

Matt lowered Matilda, but didn't put the shotgun away yet. "Yeah, I can feel it too." Together, the pair started exploring the house. On the main floor, in a small library, they found a pile of ash surrounded by a number of blood drops. The room was in disarray. Several ghoul corpses had been thrown against bookshelves, breaking them and sending many books to the floor. Chairs were overturned, and several lamps had fallen to the floor, sending light bulb shards across the carpet. Matt could feel hostility in the room, something left by what had happened there. It made his danger sense flare up, and he checked his grip on Matilda.

A thorough search of the room turned up nothing. A continued search of the rest of the house had the same result. With more questions than answers Seras and Matt started back to the transport. A clean-up team would already be on the way, and there was no point to their remaining. Hopefully their next attempt would be more successful.

/// 

Walter set his office phone back on its base, allowing himself a light sigh. Victoria and Jemeth had reported in. Unfortunately, they'd found nothing to further the investigation. They were already on the way back. It seemed the only good things about this mission were that no one was injured, and no one would have to clean any weapons that night…

He turned to the computer, logging back into the system. Perhaps someone else in Hellsing's spy network had found something of use. Any sort of clue that could piece together the puzzle before them. The computer ran through the log-on dance, and awaited his next command.

Walter reached for the mouse, but his attention was drawn back as there was a flicker across the screen. He paused, watching the screen intently. There was another flicker, and before Walter could twitch the screen went black. He grabbed the phone again to call the mainframe watch, but the line was dead. He leapt up and tore out the door. It was a scant few minutes run there, and even faster to diagnose the problem. But in even that short amount of time, the damage was done.

Hellsing had been hacked.


	3. Chapter 2

Yeah, I would imagine that Sir Integra wouldn't be too pleased. Still, while she might be livid when it's first reported to her, she'd return to her cool demeanor quickly. (In other words, doesn't happen on camera. I'm not big on showing her loosing her cool.)

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When communications were cut with Hellsing, the driver of Seras and Matt's transport was again pressed to drive faster. Matt expected to see smoke and fire, and hat Matilda tightly gripped when they swung around the corner and headquarters came into view. Matt blinked hard, as if expecting the view to change by his action. Nope. It was the same. Hellsing headquarters was just sitting there, quiet and calm as always. He relaxed, some. Just because trouble wasn't obvious didn't mean there wasn't something wrong.

The driver brought the transport to the back of the facility. Seras and Matt both passed their thanks to him for his superb driving, exited the transport, and ran for the building. As they approached the door, it swung open. Walter stood there, looking far more grim than usual. "Ms. Victoria, Mr. Jemeth. I trust you are both well."

"We're fine, Walter," Seras replied. "What happened?"

"Come with me," he said. "I have a preliminary report for Sir Integra. I think it's best you hear it as well." With that, he swung back into the building. Seras followed close behind, with Matt pausing only long enough to close the door and drop his weapons on a nearby table beside Seras's. Walter did not run, but his long stride meant the two vampires had to jog to stay with him.

They walked quickly through headquarters, jogging up the stairs to Sir Integra's office. Walter finally stopped, but only long enough to knock on Sir Integra's door and wait for her to call "Enter!" He entered, Seras and Matt in tow.

They had to stop short to keep from running into him as he halted once again to take a formal bow. Matt ended up rocking onto his toes and wildly waving his arms about to catch his balance after the sudden stop. Seras simply stepped to the side and stared at Matt. "Sir Integra," Walter said, "I have some preliminary reports on the attack." He stood and walked over, Seras and Matt walking over to their usual side. Matt was a tad more careful in his steps than usual.

Sir Integra simply gestured for him to continue. "Hellsing has come under a computer based attack. We are uncertain where it originated from, but we do know what was targeted, and what damage has been done. All primary computer systems are off-line. Precluding a full systems check and a sweep for any viruses or other sorts of sabotage, we will be on back-up computing systems and operating at, what the techs called, 'Maximum Paranoia Mode'". Matt smiled inwardly. He'd coined that term, at least in those parts. "Most computers will have limited access to the outside network, and those will full access will not be connected to the main servers."

"So what were they after?" Sir Integra asked.

"It would appear the focus of their attack was on any and all information about Shalrik's freak-enhancing formula."

That killed Matt's inward smile. His eyelids tightened ever so slightly. 'If that bastard wasn't already dead, I'd kill him with my bare hands.' He felt Seras's hand on his shoulder, and looked over at her slightly. He killed the line of thinking and focused on the situation at hand. 'Sorry, Seras. Thanks,' he thought through their link. She removed the hand.

Sir Integra, however, seemed to share some of Matt's feelings. She was silent for several moments. "Just how much information did they get?"

"Easily enough. There was information in storage about the formula itself, along with our analysis of what was in it and how it worked. It may take time, but it is likely the formula could be recreated."

Sir Integra tented her index fingers, bringing them to her lips. "I'm certain I don't have to explain the gravity of this situation, to any of you." Their answer was silent agreement. "Walter, continue your investigation. Find the ones who did this. Make that your top priority."

"Yes, Sir Integra." He bowed, turned, and left the office.

"As for you two," Sir Integra continued to the vampires visibly present, "keep ready. When Walter finds something, you and Alucard will be sent out after them."

"We'll be ready, Sir Integra," Seras replied, giving a bow similar to Walter's. Matt nodded and copied her bow. He followed her from the room.

/// 

After making sure his weapons were properly stowed back in the armory, Matt had decided to find something at least semi-useful to do. With communications still down, he found the best thing he could do was be a runner. He couldn't teleport anywhere, but he was pretty damn quick and could keep it up for a long time.

While charging through the corridors of the main floor, he rounded a corner and found Seras… the hard way… Matt hauled himself back to his feet quickly, then helped Seras up, who gave him a confused look. "Where's the fire?" she asked.

"Sorry, Seras. Got a little caught up passing messages." He gave his shirt a tug, clearing out a few wrinkles. "What's the word?"

"Briefing time," she replied, and started off down the corridor behind him. He quickly caught up and followed her back to Sir Integra's office.

The usual crowd was gathered there, all ready for the briefing. Sir Integra took a drag from her cigar, then held it aside and nodded to Walter. "We found this lead unusually quickly, so it is likely a fake. However, as it is all we have to go on, I feel we should investigate it further none the less." He nodded to Fargason, who set a map of Europe on a nearby chart stand. "Running a back check on server use, I found a number of hits originating from here," he tapped a place in northeast France, near the German border, with a long metal pointer.

Fargason picked it up from there. "I feel this is most likely a trap. Given that likelihood, I would recommend a small strike team, with extraction kept as close as is safe. Preferably, the team would consist of Alucard, Victoria, and Jemeth."

Sir Integra looked over to Seras and Matt. Seras spoke first. "We're ready, Sir Integra." Matt nodded in agreement.

Sir Integra considered it for a moment, but everyone knew what her answer would be. "Very well. God and Her Majesty go with you."

A short time later, Matt returned to the armory. Most of his weapons went in their usual places. This time, however, a different frame went on his back. Matilda went on one side. On the other was a new rifle, an FS2000; an FN design based on the F2000 assault rifle. A bullpup setup, meaning the magazine was loaded behind the trigger group, it had originally been built as semi-auto only. FN made sure one couldn't take parts from the assault rifle and put it into the civilian spec. However, while Matt liked the overall look of the civvie version, he still wanted full-auto when needed. So, Matt asked Walter if he was up for a little challenge.

Which meant Matt had the only FS2000, to his knowledge, with a fire mode selector switch.

As he'd bought the rifle with his own money, and no one could order him to do otherwise, he'd attached a small scope to its upper rails. That, plus his enhanced vision, gave the rifle an incredible effective range.

Also built into this frame was a pair of scabbards. From the wall, he grabbed a pair of slender short swords and slid them home. They were similar to the swords he'd used in the 'mindscape'. While he couldn't bring himself to use Amenthyl in battle anymore, one of these days they would engage Anderson again. Bromyn and Talyn would be ready for that fight. Made of similar alloys and plated with silver, they were nearly indestructible and perfect for anti-vampire work.

He gave his pack a couple test bounces. Matt was actually kinda thankful he was a vampire. It probably would've ripped his arms off were he still human. He turned to Seras, who was already loaded up. "Shall we?"

A half hour later, the pair were bouncing along in one of Hellsing's transports heading to the outskirts of London. As they were heading to the far side of France, they would need something a bit faster than a truck or a helicopter. However, thanks to their work with the DPSD over the previous years, they had access to something much better suited to the trip. In an underground hanger built in an old industrial park were a trio of Vulture transport aircraft. They were equipped with the swiveling engines of a quiet jet technology of their breed, but these Vultures were special. DPSD had developed a method of dampening sonic booms and incorporated it into all their Vultures. With quiet, super sonic capable aircraft, they could make the trip to France in no time and be dropped in very close to their target.

It was a tad more spacious than usual; Vultures were designed to carry a couple fully loaded squads and only Seras and Matt were on board. The Vulture lifted off, streaking into the night.

A mere hour later, the pilot slowed the aircraft, swinging its engines down to their lifting configuration. The Vulture dropped to a scant few feet off the ground, and its right side door slid back. Matt dropped to the ground, Matilda in hand. Seras landed next to him, scanning the area with her Glocks. They moved off, the Vulture lifting off and heading for a safer place to wait the end of their mission.

They didn't go far before finding Alucard. He was leaning against a tree, wide brimmed hat down over his eyes. He lifted its side with a finger, fixed an eye on them, and said, "You two can relax. There's no one out here."

"Better to be safe than sorry," Matt replied while swinging Matilda over his shoulder and back onto its rails. "But as you're all knowing, where do we go next?"

"That way," he said, pointing at a building now visible through the thin tree line.

Matt sighed. "Ok, I walked right into that one. Let's go." He swung the FS2000 into his hands, gave the building a sweep through the scope, and joined Alucard and Seras in the walk across a small field to the lone building.

Now that he was on the ground, and had more them a small side window's view, Matt was able to get a good feel on where they were. The building they approached seemed to be mostly underground. Good chance it was an old part of the Maginot Line. Likely it had been demolished somewhat, then restored by forces unknown. Matt could think of no other reason why it wouldn't have been taken over as a tourist attraction or something. There was no way to tell how much was left underground.

They approached an old, rusty door leading underground. It was open, with very dim light emanating from below. From what Matt could see, whoever had rebuilt this place had made it a maze. He turned to the others, but Alucard beat him to it. "We should split up to cover the most ground." Seras and Matt agreed. Descending the stairs together, they each chose a direction and started off into the darkness.

Matt switched over to Matilda, loading his shot magazine. The rest of this maze was similar to its entrance. Varying sized rooms connected by narrow passageways. Lights positioned to give high levels of contrast, leaving many corners dark and making one blind to the room when in a spotlight. He checked every corner he passed, but his senses were telling him nothing. If this was a trap, it wasn't a very good one. 'Wait…' he thought. 'That's not right. I'm getting complacent. If this is a trap, it IS really a good one.' He kept his paranoia up as he continued ahead.

Matt swept the next room as he entered. Now he felt something in the back of his mind; a presence both familiar and odd. But the familiar part was enough to give him his next move. He swung Matilda back to its mount and grabbed the frame's straps. The X shaped scabbards and their shoulder straps remained on his back as the gun frame came away and was gently set on the floor. Matt grabbed the swords and drew them, holding them loosely at his sides. "Come on out, Paladin. No sense hiding."

"So," same an unfamiliar voice from the shadows, "you did sense me." A figure emerged, entering the light. He wore the robes of Isariot, but it wasn't Anderson. He was shorter, had brown hair, and blue eyes. Looked to be in his early thirties. And, he didn't look as… insane as Anderson. He had a British accent, his voice a deep tenor.

Matt kept the swords by his sides, for the moment. "You thought I wouldn't?"

"I was curious." He came to a stop just inside the range of the light. "Paladin Anderson doesn't think too highly of you, or so I gathered from his briefing." He started to sidestep around Matt.

Matt did the same, observing how he moved. He wasn't sure how many clues he would get about how this Iscariot agent fought, but he'd take what he could get. "Seems you already know a bit about me. Mind telling me your name?"

"Not at all. I'm Brian," he said. "Brian Malcolm." He reached behind his back, and drew a twin-blade sword. Like a quarterstaff, but with a blade at each end. It remained at his side, but Matt had no doubt he could bring it in line quickly. "Mind if I ask why you're here?"

"Only if I can ask you back."

"Of course." He brought his sword staff out before him, his eyes closing as he muttered something briefly in Latin. Slowly, a white glow encased the staff's blades, looking very much akin to a white twin-blade lightsaber. His eyes reopened, and he continued his circular sidestepping.

Matt smirked, bringing his twin short swords before him. "Investigation. Someone decided to have a playful romp through our mainframe. The electronic finger pointed here, so here we are." He gave a light chuckle. "Figured it was probably a trap, but what's new about that? And you?"

Brian stepped forward, swinging one blade in an overhead arc. Matt caught it with his swords, then moved his guard to parry the low swung follow-up arc. He gave a slice of his own, but Brian had already stepped back. Matt didn't pursue. Brian spoke. "Much the same, believe it or not. Though there were a few who immediately pointed fingers at Hellsing. Cooler heads prevailed, and we were sent out here."

"We? Hmm… Should've known you wouldn't come alone. That's Anderson's breed of crazy." Now Matt made a small attack, bringing in his swords on side arcs easily deflected by the Paladin. Matt did not advance further. "You know, our bosses would probably say we're being pretty pathetic."

Brian's turn, a parried straight stab with a blocked follow up side arc. "The way I see it, the fact that we're both here suggests we have something of a common enemy. Not silencing you yet makes sense. And as you're not actively trying to kill me, I figured I'd return the favor."

Matt chuckled. "Kinda what my train of thought was." He stabbed forward with both blades, Brian knocking them out of line. "Well, it's been fun, but I think I hear my friends calling for me. So, if you don't mind…"

"Not at all." Be brought one blade up in salute. "Not the most fierce of battles, but for a light skirmish well done. Until the next time, Jemeth." Brian backed away into the shadows, ducking out a nearby door.

Matt let him go. Suddenly, he wasn't sure who was stranger: Anderson, or Brian. He shook his head, then turned to jog back the way he'd come. Seras had indeed queried him. She and Alucard were done. He rejoined them shortly thereafter. Alucard had fought Anderson again, the Paladin leaving a few limbs short of a full set. Seras had fought some other Iscariot underling, but this one hadn't known when to back off, forcing Seras to kill him. However, it was obvious Iscariot had had nothing to do with the computer attack and there was no information around giving any hints. So, they returned to the surface and radioed for extraction.

Or rather, Seras and Matt made the call. Alucard just walked into a shadow and vanished.

The ride back to London was as quiet as the ride down. No questions had been answered, and new questions had been discovered. Whoever had made the attack, what could they have gained from Iscariot? Matt hadn't wanted to ask about Shalrik. He didn't know if Iscariot knew they'd had information on the serum of his in their database. Still… part of him wished he'd asked.

He wondered if that was why he had a strange nagging feeling in his chest…

When they returned to Hellsing, Matt put himself on autopilot to follow Seras around the building. He kept thinking about the feeling in his chest, trying to put a finger on what exactly was causing it. As his thinking grew more intense, his body stopped receiving instructions. He slowed to a stop.

Seras turned to look at him. "Something wrong?"

It was a moment before Matt responded. "I'm not sure… I think there's something I've gotta go check on."

"Can it wait until after the debriefing?"

Another pause. "I think so, though I'm not sure how focused I'll be."

Seras gave a small smile. "Don't worry. I'll get you through it."

And sure enough she did. On the way there he felt her poking around his mind a bit, pulling out the bits and pieces of his side of the mission and laying them out in a usable form, like she was running a defragmentation of his brain. During the debriefing itself, she prodded him whenever Sir Integra asked him a question, pointed a mental finger at the right answer, and let him do the rest. There wasn't a lot of information to be had, but Matt passed what he'd learned from Brian.

Seras intercepted him quickly after the briefing, as Matt had started making a beeline for the basement. "Where are you off to?"

"Heading into the city for a bit. Whatever's got me worked up, staying here is only making it worse. I'm gonna drive around, see if I'm led anywhere."

Seras nodded. "All right. Want some backup?"

He shook his head. "Nah, I'll be fine. Probably won't be out too long, anyway."

"All right. Be careful."

"I will." Matt watched Seras head back up the stairs and away. He turned and continued to the basement. He'd swing by the armory, then head back to the motor pool. With all hope, his mind would be more cooperative once he was on the move.


	4. Chapter 3

I do appreciate the feedback. I do my best to respond to any comments or concerns to explain where I'm going with things, or congratulate someone to finding a severe screw up that needs repair ASAP. (Something from the original version of A New Child. Trust me, it wasn't all that pretty.) 

To grumpywinter – When it comes to your suggestion, I will say that I've got something… similar… in mind for later on in the story. I won't be making any major alterations at this point, just adding a line or subtracting some words as I feel necessary. I do appreciate your suggestions, though. I might be able to incorporate them into later stories. Or, if you'd like to give it a shot, start working on a story of your own. I'll even proof read if you'd like. (I'm not perfect, but I can give it a shot.

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Rebecca adjusted her sunglasses again, hoping no one looked too closely at her as she passed through various checkpoints. There weren't any police standing around looking at people as they passed, so she figured no one had noticed when she swiped the glasses back in the States. Her thought process was a bit more clear now, as she'd managed to get some sleep on the flight… somehow.

At least the movies weren't 100 percent accurate… She'd woken up to find sunlight on her arm, but she hadn't burst into flame or started cooking on the spot. She even put her face in the window for a moment, and only got a mild headache. With all the abrupt change happening to her life, it was nice that she didn't have to worry about daylight.

She'd kept her passport in her purse, and had no bags to worry about, so she was able to get through the checkpoints and through customs with little difficulty. She'd landed in London Heathrow Airport, just a short train ride away from London proper. It had been the first flight out she could get on. Rebecca wasn't sure if the soldiers would come after her, or if they had friends there, but she figured if she kept moving she'd be ok.

Rebecca silenced her mind for a moment. 'Rho, relax. Get your bearings. Figure out the next move.'

For better or worse, that next move landed her in a quiet part of London. Few people walked the streets, and Rebecca hoped that meant she wouldn't be bothered for a while. She picked a direction and started walking. Clouds covered the sky, somewhat subduing the headache and allowing her to think more clearly.

It also allowed the new voice in her head a chance to warn her of something. There was something behind her… No… Someone. A stranger. And whoever it was, they'd been following her for a while.

Much as she'd been trying to stay away from people, Rebecca started really hoping for a crowd. She picked another street to turn down, but as she approached it she got that danger feeling again. Someone else over there. She kept going, then picked an alley going the other way. But it was the wrong call. It was a dead end. She turned back to keep going down the street… but there were two men standing before her. She saw their eyes, and more importantly their fangs. She backed up, trying to find a way out…

But someone must've been looking out for her that day. Suddenly, a figure leapt over her head, landing before her in a crouch. He wore black boots, blue jeans, and a black leather jacket. He came up to his feet, pulling a large pistol from under his jacket, and spoke in a commanding voice. "You get one chance. Surrender."

One of the others hissed at him, reaching under his trench coat and pulling out a pistol of his own. He never had the chance. Her rescuer took him, and his companion, out in two fast, loud shots. He paused a moment, then turned to face her. The huge pistol disappeared into his jacket as he turned. The expression on his face didn't match the voice she'd heard a moment before; there was no scowl. His face was calm, concerned, and his tone of voice matched. "Are you all right?" He didn't have an accent. Somehow, Rebecca had found an American in England. Small world.

"No, but I think I'll manage. Thanks." He had hazel eyes, and no fangs. He wasn't a vampire?

He smirked. "An American, eh? What brings you to jolly old England?"

She gave a shrug and a slight smile. "Well, you know, seeing the world while I've got the chance." Lie. BIG lie.

And he saw right through it. He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? You haven't really found the most touristy place in London, have you?" He let the eyebrow down, and his face took on a calm smile. "May I see your eyes?"

It felt like her heart stopped for a moment… though to be honest she wasn't certain it was still beating anymore. She looked away for a moment, but she didn't stop him as he reached for the sunglasses. Somehow… she trusted him.

He lifted her sunglasses up for a moment, and looked at her eyes. "Yep, I thought so. You're lucky. I don't think those two had kind plans for you." He let her sunglasses back down.

Rebecca looked back up at him. "You're not going to kill me?" she asked quietly.

He shook his head. "Don't worry. You're safe now. And trust me, I understand your position far better than you realize." He reached up to one of his eyes. When his hand withdrew, she saw a hazel colored contact in his palm. His eye was as red as hers. After a moment, he replaced the contact. "Though I won't force anything on you. You can come with me, or head off. Whatever you want."

Rebecca thought a moment. A very short moment. "I want to come with you."

He smiled again. "Good choice." From the jacket he produced a small radio. He held it to his mouth. "Sherwood, this is Little John. Took out two of Nottingham's cronies." He grabbed a knob and twisted it three times.

A voice, this one British, came from the box. "Understood, Little John. Come back to the forest."

"Returning with a friend. Out." He returned the radio to his jacket. "Shall we?" He gestured to the street.

Rebecca nodded, following him out of the alley. On another nearby side street sat a small sedan. She stayed silent as they walked, hoping that she was making the right call. Her protector opened the door for her, and she nodded her thanks as she entered. He circled around to the driver's seat, and moments later they were heading down the road.

After a few minutes, he spoke up again. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about the guys tailing you, would you?"

She shook her head. "Sorry. Not a thing." A very slight smirk crossed her lips. "Though if they were the local welcoming committee I'm gonna have a talk with someone."

The guy chuckled. "I'll join in on that. The name's Matt, by the way."

"Rebecca Conway," she replied. "Can I ask where we're going, Matt?"

"Certainly. I can't tell you absolutely everything, but I can give you some. We're going to the headquarters of the Hellsing Organization. It's an anti-vampire force that operates mainly in the British Isles, but we've gone elsewhere when needed."

"Can't say I've heard of you all on the six o'clock news."

Matt nodded. "Well, it's secret. One of the main objectives is to make sure the general population doesn't know about the fight. Unfortunately, things go wrong now and then. Where in the States are you from?"

"Missouri. St. Louis. How about you?" She figured if Matt was going to be her only friend she should get to know him.

"Middle-of-Nowhere, Florida. North of Tampa by a couple hours. I've been to St. Louis a couple times, though. Nice town."

"Yeah…" She paused a moment, then finally looked over at him, removing her sunglasses. "Matt, what's going to happen to me?"

"You'll stay with us, at least a while. In the end, I'd think it'll be your call what happens, at least in part." As if anticipating her next question, he continued. "In other words, you may have to pick from a list of choices, but none of the choices will be 'death', or something like that."

"I wish I could say that reassured me…"

Matt gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry 'bout that. But you really are safe with us. Just work on getting your bearings, for now."

Rebecca didn't respond, and Matt allowed the car to return to silence. A short time later, they approached a gated mansion. It was an impressive place; multi-stories, large yard, and a number of support buildings. Whatever this 'Hellsing Organization' was, they had a lot to work with. Matt parked the car near the garage, and another person came to park it. She followed Matt into the mansion. Seemed the place came complete with butler. An older looking gentleman, tall, thin build, monocle, approached them. "Mr. Jemeth, Sir Integra requires your presence in her office, immediately." His voice was very pleasant, carrying no threat, but Rebecca had to assume that being called there wasn't a good thing.

Matt turned to face her. "Well, looks like I'll be occupied for a while." He turned back to the butler. "You wouldn't mind watching after her, would you?"

"Not at all, Mr. Jemeth." Rebecca now recognized his voice as the one from the radio. Matt stepped aside, but didn't leave yet. The butler spoke up again, leaning forward in a bow. "Miss, I am Walter C. Dornez, retainer of the Hellsing organization."

"Rebecca Conway," she said again. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Dornez."

"Please, Ms. Conway, call me Walter." He gestured to a nearby staircase. "If you would please come with me, I will take you to some accommodations."

"Thank you, Walter." She followed him downstairs, to what felt like a dungeon. Stone walls and floor, metal doors, scant lighting.

Walter approached a seemingly random door. "These will be your quarters, Ms. Conway." He leaned against the door, slowly pushing it open. He stood back, allowing her to enter first.

Rebecca slowly entered, her mind still working on coping with the abrupt changes. 'Well, Rho, they sure seem to be accommodating,' she thought. This room was much better lit than the hallways. It had the standard furniture, a few basic paintings, and a bed in the corner. Not exactly four-star, but no dive either. She turned back to Walter. "Thank you again, Walter."

"If there is anything else you require, you need only ask."

Rebecca considered for a moment. "Right now, I think I need company the most. Mind if I ask some questions?"

"Not at all," he replied.

While Walter didn't give her any major top secrets, Rebecca did end up with a fair amount of the basics. Hellsing, its mission, its agents. And a bit more about Matthew Jemeth.

* * *

Matt approached the door to Sir Integra's office. He'd kinda seen this coming, and already had some ideas lined up in his defense. He brought his hand up to knock on the door, but was stopped in mid motion. "Enter." Yep. Sir Integra was not pleased. 

His hand changed course, pushing the door open and slipping into the room. The blinds were closed, but his eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness. He walked over to stand before Sir Integra's desk, standing at attention. She sat at her desk, looking at him in silent intensity. Her cigar sat propped in the ashtray, smoke slowly drifting toward the ceiling. He didn't get a chance to make any sort of greeting. "At least you didn't turn this one," she said. "Is she supposed to be a new recruit?" Her tone carried a level of sarcasm that was difficult to detect for the uninitiated. Sir Integra was probably getting more than a little annoyed at her vampires bringing home strays.

Sarcasm or not, Matt still answered the question. "At this moment, I'm not sure. When I encountered her I was more concerned about keeping her protected."

She brought her hands onto the desk, interlocking her fingers. Her patience hadn't worn too thin, and she seemed willing to hear him out. "Were you able to identify her attackers before silencing them?"

"I believe they were involved with whoever's behind the recent attacks. The read I got off them was… distorted. That, and the way they were herding her, suggests similar plans." He hadn't been cut off yet. This Matt took as a good sign. "I'll be discussing her options with her shortly, and joining the organization is one such possibility. Regardless, I believe we should keep her with us until the current situation is clarified and resolved. If they, whoever they are, want her, we should make sure they don't get her."

Now, Sir Integra leaned back in her chair ever so slightly. This was another good sign. She was considering his report, and giving it real thought rather than flat out dismissing it. After a few moments, she returned her full attention to him. "Very well," she said. "If she chooses the option of joining us, you will be in charge of her training."

"Yes, Sir Integra."

"Dismissed."

* * *

There was a knock at Rebecca's open door. She and Walter looked up to see Matthew's smiling face. He gave a wave. Walter looked back to Rebecca. "I believe it is time to take my leave, Ms. Conway. Please feel free to speak with me if there is anything else you require." 

"Thank you, Walter." She watched as Walter gave a formal bow, turned, and left the room. Matthew entered. "Hello, Matthew Jemeth," she said.

It was as if he'd suddenly walked face first into a brick wall. He came to a stop, his face slightly wincing for a moment. "Umm… Rebecca? A request. Please don't call me that. I really prefer being called Matt."

"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I…"

He held up a hand, cutting her off. "Don't worry. You didn't know. It's ok." Matt let the hand drop back to his side. "The meeting went about as well as I'd expected," he said. "You can stay here for now while we figure out what's going on. It's not mandatory that you join up, and you don't have to make a decision one way or the other yet."

She shifted around a bit on her perch on the bed. "I've got a question about that, actually." He motioned for her to go ahead. "What exactly do you do?"

He closed his eyes a moment, thinking. When they opened, he spoke again. "It's pretty simple, actually. I hunt vampires; the ones who hunt humans, at least. Normally, I support our human troops in fighting ghouls… They're a little bit like zombies. If a vampire drains all your blood, you become one. The vampire commands them. At times, I'll help out against the vampires, too, but that's usually Seras and Alucard's department these days." He hadn't said everything about who they were, but he had already mentioned their names to her.

Rebecca looked down a bit. "So if I join, I'd have to do that too."

"Decent chance, yes."

Now she looked at him. "How do you keep doing it? It's gotta eat at you, what you're doing."

Matt actually smirked. "Speaking your mind. Good thing. Keep it up." The smirk slowly dropped. "At first, it did, and it was tough. Over time, I found ways to keep going. The reason has changed over time. For a while, it was getting revenge for what happened, but that led to worse problems. These days, it's more that… I know I'm freeing the people who have been made ghouls. There's no other way to help them than to end their suffering. Also, the troops on this base have become my friends. It feels good to keep them safe."

"But what about your family?" Rebecca suddenly remembered another piece of popular culture, though she wasn't sure how accurate it was after the sun discovery. "How long have you been at this?"

"Not long," he replied. "A few years; about five. My family's doing pretty well these days. We keep in touch when we can. They're one of my major supports these days."

Rebecca hadn't really thought much about her family in a while. She'd probably pushed them from her mind so she could run away. They were probably worried… "Is there any way I could get in touch with my folks? They're probably worrying about where I am."

"Did you live at home?"

She shook her head. "No. I was going to school out of state, but I usually called them 'bout once a week."

Matt thought for a moment, bringing a hand up to rub at his chin, and the other hand up to support his arm at the elbow. "Hmm… Can they keep a secret?"

Rebecca thought over that question hard. Finally, she spoke. "Mom can. Dad, I'm not so sure."

"I think you can give them a call, but there's not much you can tell them. And we'll have to think of a cover story, either somewhere you could be back in the States, or some reason you're over here." He paused. "We'll have to work on it. But you'll be able to let them know you haven't vanished off the face of the Earth."

"That's something," she responded, pulling her legs up to hug them against her chest.

"In the meantime, though, let's try to get your mind off of it, huh?" She looked up at him, a thoughtful look on his face. "You ever shoot?"

Rebecca shook her head. "Not much. I'd probably know which end to hold, but we didn't own any guns." Slowly, she gave a couple nods. "Might be a good idea if I gave it a try; know as much about my options as I can."

Matt nodded back. "That's what I was thinking. Shall we?" He gestured to the door.

He led the way out the door, Rebecca following behind him. She was a little nervous. Her family hadn't exactly been anti-gun, but they weren't really pro-gun either. Still, Matt seemed ok. She really felt she could trust him. Soon after, she heard a number of dull thuds through the heavy stone walls. They approached another metal door, Matt pushing it open. Beyond was a shooting gallery, kinda like what she'd seen in a movie or three. There was a small armory in the back, and a number of lanes to one side. A few others were there, firing at targets mounted at the far side of each lane.

Matt directed her to a lane, leaving her for a couple minutes and returning with a few guns. "You a lefty, or a righty?" he asked.

"Righty," she replied.

He handed her a handgun. "This is a Ruger 22 caliber. It's what I learned on when I was a kid. Under normal circumstances, you'd barely feel the recoil."

She hefted the gun. This one was actually familiar. If memory served, this was one of the few guns she'd shot. "And now?"

"Now," he replied, "you won't feel it at all." He handed her a magazine holding ten rounds. The bullets certainly looked small. Maybe he was right? "Just stuff that in the bottom." She did. He reached up to the back of the gun, holding two tabs and pulling a part of it straight back. Then, he released it. "Ok, it's ready to fire now." Suddenly, he placed a pair of clear plastic glasses over her eyes. "Sorry, but rules are rules." She looked at him from the corner of her eye and saw him do the same.

"Don't we need ear plugs?"

He shook his head. "Nope. One of the perks of being a vampire; any damage will repair itself pretty quickly. Keep a good grip on the pistol and keep it pointed down range. Don't point it at something you don't want to shoot." She followed his directions, and continued to as he spoke. "Now, lift the pistol up to eye level and aim at the target." She automatically closed one eye as she aimed. "As I said, there will be no recoil. Don't worry about when the pistol's gonna fire. Just slowly squeeze the trigger."

Rebecca was nervous. She hadn't touched a gun in years, but she was remembering this one. Gently, she squeezed the trigger. Suddenly, it fired. Sure enough, she barely felt it move, but the motion and noise had been enough to make her arms twitch, throwing off her aim. She hit the paper, but not the target.

Matt's head came up beside hers, looking down the range. "Hmm. 'Bout how I started. Give it another try."

She closed her eyes and breathed for a moment. Then, resetting her aim, she squeezed the trigger again. This time, she knew when it would fire, and her shot came much closer to the target.

Rebecca continued this way for some time, Matt giving critiques as needed to help her hone in her skills. Soon, he moved her on to other weapons. He handed her one called a Browning Hi-Power, saying it was one he used regularly. Once she had that down, he handed her the huge gun he'd used to rescue her. That one took a while to get a handle on, and in the end her hands were a tad sore. Matt promised that it would subside soon.

Her nervousness had subsided. She wasn't sure what had replaced it, but at least she was feeling better. Matt spoke up again. "Want to try something a bit more advanced?"

She looked over to him, setting the gun, called an Auto-Mag, on the table before her. "Already? I just got started."

"Well, you'll still get to practice the basics, and I find it a bit more interesting than here." He glanced around the room. "It's nice to visit every so often, yeah, but I like being able to move."

So, whatever he was planning was a bit more active. That might be nice. Plus, it might get her out of the dungeon of this place. She gave a nod. "Sure. Let's give it a shot."

* * *

Matt grabbed the back hatch of their borrowed SUV and closed it with a dull thud. He turned to Rebecca, who was holding the rifle he had brought for her. The place they'd driven to was a good couple hours out, and Rebecca had used that time to sleep. 'She has been having a rougher week than the norm, I'm sure.' Built in an abandoned quarry, this particular training center hadn't been used in some time. The last major exercise had been right after the Valentine Brothers' attack years before. Since then, Hellsing had built a new training facility further to the north. 

He waved the dust from his face. 'Probably why they abandoned this place…' Of course, that wasn't the case. It was just a nice thought. "So," he started, "what you're clutching there is called Spitfire. It's an assault rifle I used not too long after I started here. It's been modified over the years." It certainly had. It was looking a lot like the Halo 2 battle rifle these days. "It'll shoot semi-auto, three round bursts, and full auto. Scope on top is pretty well set, but you probably won't need it once you've practiced enough." She nodded her understanding. "The pistol on your hip is a nine mil, like the Browning. Acts similar to it as well, so it shouldn't surprise you." He'd given her a Walther P99 as a backup.

Matt turned to look at the walls of the course. "This course simulates clearing a building. There are a number of targets set up. They're built to take bullets, so don't worry about them needing replacement. You need to hit the head or heart, nothing else. Any questions?"

"I don't think so," she replied. She seemed a tad hesitant, but he understood. Still, she was being broken in to all this more slowly than he had. He hoped that would help her.

"Ok," he said. "I'll head up top to watch how you do. Give me a couple minutes, then start at your discretion." Rebecca nodded again, and Matt turned to huff up one of the staircases. The facility had no roof, and was crisscrossed with walkways for observers to watch and grade trainees. The course itself was marked for how one should progress, and was made up of a series of rooms with connecting corridors and doors of varying construction. Most of the floor was dirt, with the occasional patch of wood or metal to test a trainee's ability at staying silent. There were many bullet holes in the walls; a testament to the facility's age.

Rebecca started. She carefully opened the first door and entered, steadily making her way around the course. He hadn't set a time limit for her first run through, but that would change soon. For most of the course, she had the rifle slung across her back and used the pistol. Only when she realized she'd run out of nine mil ammo did she switch back to Spitfire. It took her a couple tries to figure out its aim as well.

She really did try her best, but she had none of the elite military training their usual recruits possessed. 'Neither did I when I started.' There was hope for her, though. She hadn't frozen. And she hadn't dropped one of her weapons. But really, this was just to get a good baseline on her capabilities, to see where she needed the most work. He started down the stairs to where Rebecca waited below. He tried to gauge her reaction. The mental impression he got… what he could manage through the UV induced headache… suggested she was ok, but a tad troubled. He gave her a smile. "Good job, Rebecca."

She scoffed. "Hardly…"

Matt shrugged. "Well, you're still pretty new to all this. I'd had a fair amount of practice before I ran through it…" He smiled. "Perhaps a demonstration?"

That got a smile and nod from Rebecca. "That might help give me an idea of what I'm supposed to be doing, yeah."

"All right, then. I'll grab my gear." He started for the SUV, then turned back to Rebecca for a moment. "Head on upstairs. This won't take long."

* * *

Rebecca looked over the railing at where Matt stood. He was finishing preparing his equipment, then he would enter at the same place she'd started from. He carried a rifle of his own, along with his twin Brownings at his hips. He'd shouted up to her to keep time, with a limit of five minutes. It had taken her twenty to work through the course… 

She set the timer on the watch Matt had thrown up to her. He was looking up at her now, waiting for her signal. "Go!" she yelled as she pressed the button to start the timer. He burst through the door, the rifle to his shoulder. His progress was incredible. He'd cleared four rooms before she thought to look at the timer. Matt went from room to room, the bursting of doors occasionally being punctuated by pops of gunfire. As he continued, she realized that his movements were completely silent. She'd heard herself echoing off the walls whenever she hit the wood or metal floors. She'd have to fix that next time.

With fifteen seconds to spare, Matt completed the course. Rebecca started down to join him, stopping the timer. They spoke on what he had done, why he had done it, and anything and everything Rebecca had noticed. She asked questions, he answered them.

When she tried again, she did much better.

After another run through, Rebecca was sent back to the overhead walkways to watch Matt again. He'd agreed that her second run was better, but he also said there were a few specific things he wanted to go over with her about.

That's when things stopped going according to plan…

* * *

Matt looked up to where Rebecca stood atop one of the outside walls. She was looking back at him, waiting for him to begin his little lesson. He opened his mouth to speak, but he stopped short. Something was wrong. Very wrong. He looked back up Rebecca again, his eyes more intense. She needed to get down from there and to a place he could protect her. But it was nearly too late. It was already behind her. "Rebecca! Jump down! Now!" 

He brought the FS2000 to his shoulder and aimed beyond Rebecca. All he had was lead, but he hoped it would do. Thank goodness Rebecca did what he ordered immediately. She'd cleared his line of fire. He pulled the trigger and held it down, sending a stream of bullets at the vampire that had been about to take a chunk out of her shoulder. Matt returned the favor, and ended up knocking the vampire off of the overhead and into the training facility.

As Rebecca joined him, he slung is rifle and drew the Brownings. "Grab your Walther," he said. "We're not done with this yet." She hesitated a moment, but drew the pistol and got a good grip on it. "Remember: head or heart. Anything else is a waste of ammo. These people didn't ask for what happened to them. All you can offer them is a fast end to their torment."

She looked over at him questioningly. "Which people?"

As if answering her question, a dozen ghouls burst from the ground all around them. Matt aimed his pistols. He quietly muttered a prayer he'd picked up from one of the Hellsing soldiers. She'd said it whenever she'd had to silence ghouls, feeling it helped them move on to a better place. Matt had liked the idea, and adopted the practice. He opened fire, sending a pair of ghouls down in piles of ash and pieces. He silenced several more before realizing Rebecca hadn't fired. He risked a glance over at her. She was aiming, though her Walther was shaking ever so slightly.

He felt for her. He really did. Her gentle introduction into the world of Hellsing had just turned into a brutal indoctrination. "Rebecca," he said in a surprisingly calm voice, "it's all right. Doing this doesn't make you a monster. Doing this shows that you aren't. These people were made ghouls by a vampire. That vampire controls them. We're releasing them, freeing them from their quasi state between living and death." She gave a shaky nod. Matt turned, aiming his pistols along with hers. Seeing him right beside her seemed to give her what she needed to act. They fired in unison.

Working together, they silenced the remaining ghouls. Matt scanned the area, but he didn't see the vampire. With the sun cutting the range of his extra senses, they were in a bad position. It was time to withdraw. "Back to the car. We're getting out of here."

"Yeah. That sounds good," came her unsteady reply.


	5. Chapter 4

I've always preferred the idea of Matt never turning anyone. Actually, I think I've planned to remove the scene where he bites someone's neck in Demon Force, so I'll be able to give him peace of mind on that as well.

To MyndAsylum – Matt's 'loss of control' refers to the events of Demon Force, how the darker side of him took over for a while. The rewrite I've planned out changes things a bit, making it a little less literal. It's not that some dark form of him takes over his body (which really doesn't work as well as I'd thought when I wrote it), and make it more that his darker impulses are being expressed a lot more. Kinda like falling to the Dark Side of the Force, but more in an Emporer Palpatine "how do I get everyone to do my bidding" way and less of an Anakin Skywalker emo "I wanna kill everything" way.

….. Does that actually make sense, or was it just babble?

Anyway, I'd mostly mentioned it to show how much time had passed since the last story. There's actually a decent description at the end of this chapter, pretty much summing up what happened.

On with the show!

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"That facility is no longer secure." That's what the Hellsing security folks had said. "Having been established for as long as it had been, it is not surprising that the enemy had discovered its location and waited in ambush. It is impossible to determine exactly how long they had been there, but investigations and changes in policy will follow."

Luckily, Walter had intercepted Matt before he could go break down the door to Integra's office. He expressed concern over Matt's report. Considering recent events, it was highly unlikely the attack was random. They had to have been going after Rebecca. Walter promised that there would be a thorough investigation into the matter, especially into the probable security breech. Matt had logged in where they were going to the proper people at Hellsing, but the computers might still be vulnerable. Walter's words managed to calm him down, and Matt had returned downstairs to clear his mind.

Rebecca had turned in. She'd had a long day and needed to sleep off what had just happened. Matt understood, promising to meet with her the next day. Besides, he had a decent idea of what he wanted to do, and it worked out better by himself. He pulled up a chair, plopped down before the TV, and reached to punch the Xbox 360's power button with an outstretched toe.

A few minutes later, Matt was staring at the matchmaking options in Halo 3 multiplayer. Suddenly, a box appeared in the lower left hand corner of the screen. There was a message form Nekbrekr. He brought it up. Nekbrekr's voice came through the speakers. "Join my friggin' group, jerk." Matt smiled. Yep, Halo almost always cleared his head.

Turned out he had a decent group going on. KC, a friend of Nekky's, was there, along with a couple people he knew from back home and a few Matt didn't recognize. "Hey. 'Sup?"

"Not much," KC replied. "Getting ready for rocket / snipe on The Pit." They'd lamented once that they used to play rocket/snipe on Headlong, a larger map in Halo 2, but that map hadn't made it over to Halo 3. The Pit came close enough, though.

"Sounds fine by me," Matt said.

Moments later, The Pit appeared on the screen. This was a free for all game, so he immediately sought cover. He brought up his rocket launcher and waited in the shadows. This early in the match, one of his standard tricks might work. This part of the level had a number of metal ramps and with wide open spaces in between. He aimed mid ramp. Sure enough, a target approached. It was one of the new people, which was good. Nekbrekr wouldn't fall for this trick anymore. He counted to three and fired. His rocket met a Spartan, right in the face shield. With a maniacal laugh, Matt started for another good shooting position.

The battle ebbed and flowed, with Nekbrekr breaking into an early lead with KC and Matt close behind. Nekky's unholy sniping abilities allowed that early lead to grow to unbeatable levels, but Matt managed to get in a few good shots. Nekbrekr took the match. Matt chuckled, remembering a story Nekky and KC had told him. Seemed they'd met in college; roommates in the dorms. KC and their other roommate had been big on Halo, Nekbrekr not so much. That changed quickly, and the trio had had much fun on Xbox Live. The other roommate didn't play anymore, but KC and Nekky were still steadily moving up the ranks.

The next battle placed them on a smaller map. No vehicles, no real effectiveness with snipers. However, Matt knew where the shotguns lived, and within moments he had one in his Spartan's hands. He smirked. Jemmat was ready to go.

This battle went more his way. He was killed only a few times, and only one of those was by Nekbrekr. Jemmat had just suddenly fallen over dead, Nekbrekr running up and doing a quick corpsehump. "Ha. Score another one for Betsy." Betsy, Nekbrekr's name for the shotgun. The Betsy/Matilda war was one of their longest running wars, and there was no resolution in sight.

Within moments after respawning and grabbing a new shotgun, Matt returned the favor with Nekbrekr. "And Matilda is back in the lead," he said. In the end, Matt won the battle.

Feeling much more clear and calm, Matt said his good byes and logged off. As he stood to cross the room and get himself ready for bed, he suddenly came to a stop. It was as if his legs were being cut out from under him by a wave of psychic energy, sending him falling back into a nearby chair. For several disturbing seconds, his mind was completely jammed. Finally, he was able to shake and smack his head clear and regain control of his body. He hauled himself upright and made a beeline for the door, and from there to Sir Integra's office.

Matt could see from the bottom of the stairs that her door was already open. He met Seras at the base of the stairs and joined her heading up to the office. Walter and Alucard were already there. Matt closed the door after he and Seras entered. Apparently, Walter had already been there speaking with Sir Integra when Alucard arrived. Walter had opened the door when Alucard said Seras and Matt would be joining them momentarily. Matt had no idea what the wave had been. Neither did Seras.

But Alucard had a very good idea. "I believe our new enemy has struck again, and this time has attacked a much stronger target." There was something about Alucard's voice… "I can locate where the attack took place, but I will need to go there to be certain of what happened."

Sir Integra nodded. She'd known him longer than Matt had. If Matt noticed it, it was blindingly obvious to her. "Victoria and Jemeth will accompany you. Go." None of the usual words, and she'd skipped the usual traditional send-off line.

Matt wouldn't say that Alucard was afraid of what they would find. His guess was that the elder vampire knew what they would find, but at the same time wanted to be wrong. With the psychic blast that had hit him, Matt could understand well exactly why Alucard would think that. He would never mention what he'd seen that day.

* * *

The trio rendezvoused before a small house on the far side of London. It was in a typical neighborhood with few, if any, of the signs that would point to this being a vampire's residence. It was night, with no moonlight. A few streetlight gave illumination, but a cluster of trees worked to block most of it. There was little light coming from the house itself. Alucard walked to the door and pushed. The lock had been broken, so it simply swung open. He entered, Seras and Matt following with weapons drawn. Some of the usual features were present, but in unusual ways. It was comfortably adorned, with many bookshelves lining the walls. But what was lacking were ghoul remains, and signs of plotting either raids on humanity or attempts to seize power. 

Alucard continued the lead the way, but kept his pistols within his trenchcoat. They entered a study. While the rest of the house held rows of books, in here there were piles of them covering all eras and genres. Light came mostly from candles, plus a spot from the desk's reading lamp. Near the center were the ash remains of a vampire. Seras and Matt finally holstered their weapons as Alucard knelt down beside the ashes. There were some small drops of blood nearby, and an omni-present dark feeling to the room.

"I knew her," Alucard suddenly said. Matt looked over, some of his surprise coming onto his face. His wide-brimmed hat and yellow sunglasses were on the floor beside him as he looked over the ashes. This wasn't the same unflappable Alucard that Matt knew. Whatever he had just discovered had rocked him to his core. Physically, he looked no different. But that voice…

Seras knelt down next to him. Matt remained silent. There was nothing he could add to the situation, but Seras would stand a chance of helping. She'd actually been able to get past Alucard's armor now and then. "Who was she?" Seras asked.

"One of my fledglings. I turned her close to 400 years ago." He turned to look at Seras, who was raising an eyebrow at him. He smirked. "A friend. Nothing more." By this point, Matt had moved across the room to a desk. He looked through the papers on it, checking for any clues. Alucard continued. "We'd fallen out of regular contact long before Hellsing captured me. But she was strong. She shouldn't have come to an end like this." Matt had looked back over at Alucard and Seras and picked up the slightest of shudders. Even Alucard thought what had happened was brutal.

That in itself sent more chills to Matt's core.

Alucard reclaimed his hat and sunglasses, once again his cool, unflappable self. He looked square at Matt. "I want to meet Conway. There is a reason she was targeted by this filth, and I want to know what that reason is."

"I'll arrange it," Matt replied.

* * *

They returned to Hellsing without incident. Matt dropped off his gear and returned downstairs. Probing ahead with his mind, he found that Rebecca was already awake again. That would help. He approached her door and knocked. After a moment, he heard her call out "Come in!" 

He entered. Rebecca was sitting on the bedside. She'd changed into some of the clothes provided with the room, and managed to look both nervous and relaxed at once. "Catch you at a bad time?" Matt asked.

She shook her head. "Not at all. What do you need?"

"There's someone I need you to meet," he said as she stood and grabbed a robe. "It has to do with everything that's going on, probably including the attack earlier today, so it's kinda important."

Rebecca nodded. "Ok."

Matt turned to look at the most shadowed wall. If he knew Alucard well enough… "Alucard?" Sure enough, the elder vampire appeared through the wall; his preferred method of entry. Matt turned back to Rebecca. "Rebecca, meet Alucard. Alucard, this is Rebecca Conway."

Alucard walked up to her. Rebecca simply stood there watching him. Probably still getting past the whole 'walking in through the wall' thing. "I will look into your eyes and probe your mind," he said. Rebecca nodded understanding, and looked up at him to give him a better view.

For a couple minutes there was silence as Alucard stared deeply into her eyes. She stood still and unblinking, until finally Alucard looked away. Rebecca shook her head slightly to clear it, then sat back down. Alucard stepped back, then turned away and left through the nearest wall. Matt knelt down beside Rebecca. "You all right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. That was just kinda strange is all… I'm gonna get some more sleep now, ok?"

"Sure. Sounds like a good plan." He stood and took a step back. "Sleep well, ok?"

"I'll try."

Matt left the room by more conventional means and started down the hall. He found Alucard not too far away, heading up the stairs to the main floor. He followed the elder vampire to Sir Integra's office. Seras was already standing there. "You wanted something?" she asked Alucard.

"You'll probably want to hear this too, Seras." Alucard turned back to Matt with a smirk. "You're welcome as well, Young Jemeth."

In ways, being with Seras had been good for Alucard. He was still the Hellsing Organzation's trump card, and probably had enough power to level London if he wanted. But Seras had introduced a force of stability into his life, and it was having an influence. Matt wouldn't call the elder vampire 'friendly', but there were times where Alucard actually spoke with Matt as if he weren't a complete idiot.

Eh, it was a start.

Matt followed Alcuard and Seras into Sir Integra's office. Alucard started right in. "I believe I know more about our new enemy."

Sir Integra looked up at him, Walter turning around to see who was entering as well. Obviously interrupted from some piece of business, he didn't show any obvious irritation as he moved aside. Sir Integra set her cigar down in the ashtray and folded her hands on the desk. "Go on," she replied.

"The serum Shalrik created took a vampire's abilities and improved upon them. However, there is a limit to how effective it can be." Matt and Seras have moved to one side of Sir Integra's office, both paying close attention to Alucard. "A vampire's abilities are tied to his bloodline. Stronger vampires have greater ability, and vice versa for weaker bloodlines."

Seras wasn't speaking up, so Matt figured she'd already gotten this chunk of information. It was, however, new to him. So, he spoke up. "I take it these weaker vampires are the basis for modern myths."

Alucard actually looked over to him for a moment. "Correct, Young Jemeth." He turned back to Sir Integra. "As a bloodline weakens, its vampires develop increased weaknesses to sunlight, silver, and so on. As a sort of counter, their aggression increases. Few strong blood vampires go on the hunt anymore."

Matt opened his mouth to speak again, but Alucard turned to him and cut him off. "Strong blood vampires in this era tend to make deals with human governments. In return for safe accommodations and medical blood, they agree to not prey upon humans. They had their fill of excitement decades and centuries ago."

'Like the one we found,' Matt thought. Alucard gave a barely perceptive nod.

He retuned his attention to Sir Integra. "By taking the blood of stronger vampires and combining it with Shakrik's serum, they may be hoping to improve their bloodlines."

"How likely are they to succeed?" Sir Integra asked.

Walter took this one. "It is difficult to say, Sir Integra. While it is possible the serum could be enhanced, we saw as much when dealing with Breka and the Global Fangs, it would require them to have a fair amount on knowledge in biochemistry. It is not impossible that they could possess such knowledge, but it would also require a fair amount of equipment. I will conduct research in this direction."

"Thank you, Walter," Sir Integra replied. Her attention returned to Alucard. "And what of Conway? What did you learn about her?"

Matt's ears seemed to perk up even higher. If there was something off about Rebecca…

"I recognize her bloodline," Alucard replied. "It's an older one, one of the stronger, but not as strong as I am. Similar strengths, slightly greater weaknesses. Though some of the bloodline end up… unstable. They were one of the few violent strong bloodlines. I had thought them all silenced long ago." He smirked, looking just a tad over his shoulder. "Though I doubt that will happen to Conway, considering she has Young Jemeth as her master now."

"What?!"

Everyone looked at Matt. His wide eyed, agape mouth look of complete and utter shock said it all; saying this was news to him would be something of an understatement. Matt could've sworn he saw a smirk on the face of each and every person in the room. Seras finally spoke. "Well, you HAVE been around her the most since she got here. I guess that could do it."

"Only in part," Alucard replied. "Young Jemeth is the first vampire Conway has been near since her master was silenced. If it hasn't happened already, she will soon be bound to him. He will be her master as if he had turned her himself."

Seras walked over to Matt and laid a hand on his shoulder. "I think you'll do fine, Matt."

Matt sighed, resigning himself to their judgment. "Well, I guess you're right. I mean, I did have a good teacher. I'll try to do the same for her, if she joins."

"If?" came Sir Integra's obvious question.

He had something of an answer ready. "This was only her first day, after all. And she's not nearly as combat ready as Seras was when she got here. Not even as ready as I was. I'll keep encouraging her, though. I've got some ideas in mind. And if what Alucard says is right… and when is it not… if I'm going to have any success it will come soon."

"Very well," Sir Integra responded. Good. That meant Matt's ass was out of the fire, for the moment. "Walter, continue your investigation on this matter. The rest of you, be ready to move out on short notice. Jemeth, continue working with Conway, but do not forget your primary job."

Each gave their standard reply, and Sir Integra dismissed them.

* * *

A few hours later, Rebecca emerged from her room dressed in some of the clothes she'd found in her room, a pair of black jeans and a red t-shirt. They had it stocked well enough that it would do for the time being. Matt had shown her where his room was once, with the standard note to come bug him any time. She made her way through the lower level of the mansion, once again wishing the place wasn't made up of stone with the occasional light. She found Matt's door and knocked. After a moment, she heard his voice. "Come in!" Rebecca had learned early that you had to yell to be heard through the thick metal doors. 

She pushed the door open and peered inside. Matt had just finished pulling on a shirt. He turned to look at her and gave her a smile. "Hey there, Rebecca. Come on in." She did, pushing the door shut behind her. "Something on your mind?"

"Yeah," she replied. "I was curious what happened last night. I wanted to ask when you came by earlier, but things seemed kinda hectic." Rebecca paused a moment, trying to figure out what to call what she'd felt. "Before that, I'd felt some kind of… pressure in my mind."

"Ah, that." Matt sat down nearby, grabbing a shoe and pulling it onto his socked foot. "Has to do with all the stuff happening around here. Those two guys who came after you?" He waited for her nod. "Their group, whoever they were, went after someone else. We all felt that pressure to some degree."

"Ok. Thanks," she said. "Nice to know I wasn't the only one." Something told her that the others had felt something more severe than she had, but she really didn't want to ask. She hugged her arms to her chest. "You think we could get away from here for a while? I just need to get a break from all this."

He nodded. "Sure," he replied as he finished tying his other shoe. "Within walking distance, or far enough to drive?"

"Walking is ok."

He nodded again. "All righty. I know a place we can go. It's getting a bit brisk, so you might want to grab a jacket. Some shades too. There should be both back in your room. Meet me at the front door in fifteen?"

Rebecca gave a small smile. "Sure. Thanks."

Fifteen minutes later, after a trip back to her room to reclaim her sunglasses and a white jean jacket, she jogged up the stairs to meet Matt. He was already there, having simply put on a black leather jacket. It wasn't the same one he'd been wearing when he'd rescued her. It wasn't decorated, and was better quality. He smiled, seeming to sense her question. "It was my uncle's. I only wear it when I'm not expecting trouble."

"I understand."

"Well," he continued, "I got us signed out. Shall we?" He gestured to the door.

It was actually a really nice day outside. It was cooling off nicely as they headed into the winter months. As she and Matt walked to the gate leading off the Hellsing mansion grounds, she actually managed to ignore most of the sun related headache. "So where are we going?" she asked.

"You'll see," he replied with a smile. They made a second check out with the gate guards, then started along the sidewalk. The mansion took up a decent sized city block, but past that London took over the streets. They passed several apartment buildings, which then gave way to a few shops.

On the way, Matt asked her a few questions. They were mainly about her; things she liked, people she knew, goals she'd had before all this started. She told him of hobbies, friends and school activities, plans for college and beyond. Matt listened to it all, pulling it in and commenting now and then. He wasn't just letting the air be filled with noise. He was genuinely interested in how she was doing, from what she could tell.

He stopped in front of one store in particular. Rebecca peered in. It was a coffee shop of some kind. Matt gestured for her to enter, then grabbed the door for her. It was a small shop, with partially curtained windows and a number of small round wooden tables. Behind a counter containing a number of different pastries was a good assortment of possible drinks. There were a few others in the shop clustered here and there. "Pick us out a couple seats. There's something I want you to try."

She was curious, but she trusted him. She found them a seat near the window, in the relatively unoccupied corner of the shop. A few minutes later, he returned with a pair of drinks. They were covered by sip lids and had cardboard sleeves for heat protection, but Matt didn't seem to let heat stop him. He raised one cup. "Cheers." She chuckled, grabbed her own cup, and tapped it against his.

He brought the cup to his lips and took a sip, pausing a moment to let the taste hit his tongue before giving a happy sigh and seeming to melt somewhat into his chair. With a review like that, she was understandably curious. She did the same. It was hot, that much was certain, but it wasn't painful. What hit her own tongue was a sweet, spicy drink that made her understand well why Matt had reacted the way he did. She smiled, swallowing the sip. "It's delicious. What is it?"

"Hot spiced chai with milk. It's a tea drink my sister introduced me to a few years back." He took another sip. "Ever since I discovered this coffee shop, I've done what I can to ensure it remains in business."

"I think I understand why." With a smile and another sip, Rebecca looked back up at Matt. "Well, I answered your questions. Mind if I ask a few?"

He gestured for her to go ahead. "Feel free."

So then it was Rebecca's turn. Her questions were similar to his, just trying to learn about who he was. He told her of his Halo 3 games, and got a chuckle out of her with the whole 'Betsy vs. Matilda' argument. They finished their chai, and soon after started back for the base. There wasn't anyone else walking the streets, so Rebecca felt it was ok to ask. "Matt, I heard some people around the base mentioning some sort of 'vacation' you went on a couple years back. Though by the way they said it, I'm guessing it was hardly a happy time. What happened?"

Matt was quiet for a couple minutes. Rebecca was about to withdraw the question when he spoke up. "It's kinda complicated, but I've worked up a short version since it happened." She opened her mouth to speak, but she closed it as he looked over to her. "It's ok, Rebecca. You should probably hear about this. I've gotten used to the idea of being an object lesson for others." He returned his gaze to where they were walking. "I mentioned before that fighting vampires and ghouls for revenge led me to worse problems. What I didn't say is just how bad things got. For a while, the darker side of what I've become took control of me. I left Hellsing, and became that which I'd fought. The only reason I'm here today is because Seras never gave up on me. She knew I was still trapped in my mind somewhere."

He looked back over to her. "If you do join us, make sure it's for the right reasons. I'm just lucky the consequences weren't as bad as they could have been."

The rest of the walk back was made in silence. Rebecca understood a bit more about the challenges Matt had faced in the last few years, and with that a bit more of the challenges she herself might face if she followed the path he'd offered her. The jury was still out, but something told her the need to make her choice would come sooner rather than later.


	6. Chapter 5

To grumpywinter – Well, we did see Seras do her berserker thing during the Valentine brother's attack, and all she'd had by that point was medical blood. I don't ever plan on having Matt do a major power burst on par with Alucard's Situation A release. (That's Alucard's thing, ya know. I ain't stealing his thunder.) Maybe some minor stuff later on (which in my mind is a really cool scene in a future story)

I don't doubt what you say. It just doesn't work with Matt's character / my plans.

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That afternoon, Seras was called to Sir Integra's office. As she entered, she saw that Alucard was already present. She gave him a quick smile, then came to her usual place. Sir Integra looked over to Fargason and Walter, giving them the go ahead to begin the briefing. Walter started. "I have been investigating purchases of equipment needed to effectively work with the Shalrik serum. Many appear legitimate, so I will only investigate further if the current leads do not pan out."

Fargason pointed to a place on the map. "One shipment was lost in this area. Police conducted a search, but came up empty handed."

Walter continued. "There is, however, an unnamed castle ruin in the vicinity. It's very infrequently traveled to, so it might be serving as a hideout. We believe an aggressive scouting mission is required in this case."

"With Jemeth and Conway out in training," Fargason said, "Alucard and Victoria would be best suited for this mission."

Sir Integra gave looked over at Seras and Alucard. Seras saw Alucard give a nearly imperceptible head nod. "Very well," Sir Integra said. "God and her Majesty go with you."

Seras walked with Walter down to the armory. After gathering her glocks, Joshua, and her Harkonnen cannon, she turned to Alucard. Alucard had done his usual thing and walked in through the nearest wall. He quickly pulled Jackal and Titan from the walls by simply reaching out his hands and giving them a telekinetic tug. "Ready, Police Girl?"

Now that he actually called her by real her name most of the time, she could enjoy the pet name. Seras smiled at him. "Yes, sir. Master."

He smirked back. Alucard may not really be her master anymore, but he enjoyed being called that now and then anyway. He stepped to her, wrapped an arm around her, and the world faded out around them.

When it returned to focus, Seras checked the area around them. It was forest and hills, not a soul in sight. She turned and gave a smirk back to Alucard. "Did you really take us to the target, or did you just find a place we could be alone for a while?"

"If I wanted to be alone with you, there are far better places I would choose," he replied. He pointed over her shoulder. "The target ruin is just over that hill." He released her and loaded his pistols, which then disappeared into his trench coat.

Giving a pace of clearance, Seras swung Harkonnen around and loaded one of her depleted uranium rounds. The pair started to the crest of the hill, taking a moment to look over the ruin. As suggested by the name, there wasn't much left. Maybe a few walls, a room or two. There might be some remains underground, but nothing was obvious yet. Alucard led the way, Seras close behind. They entered the grounds of the ruins. Alucard finally drew his pistols. Seras held Harkonnen ready. Something was about to happen. It was too quiet for there not to be.

It happened. All around them, ghouls burst from the ground. They were instantly surrounded. Alucard opened fire. Seras launched her loaded Harkonnen shell, the recoil rocking her back for a moment. She dropped the cannon, knowing there wasn't time to reload it. She quickly realized she didn't even have time to draw her pistols. Time for a change in tactics.

* * *

Alucard fired his last rounds and went to his trench coat for reloads. He paused when he felt a power surge come from Seras. His head whipped around to see what she was doing as she let out a yell of near feral rage. Her eyes were brighter, and her arms now bulged with strength. Seras leapt at the ghouls, taking them on hand to hand. Alucard smirked. Her use of her demon's power was perfect. It coursed through her, allowing her the strength and speed she needed to defeat the ghouls. But at the same time, it was under perfect control.

There was a crash nearby. Alucard turned to see a single vampire retreating to the now verified underground portion of the ruins. Seras paused from her assault long enough to growl out, "Get the maggot. I'll deal with these." With another growl, she dove into the next group of ghouls. Alucard chuckled. He never would have guessed how far she would get in her development when he'd first turned her. She was true family now.

He turned and started for the stairs. There was no escape for this maggot vampire, so he could afford to take his time and have some fun with it. Alucard started down the stairs and into near pitch black corridors. No matter. A No Life King was at home in the dark. He moved through the halls as smoothly as if in broad daylight, and was not surprised when he heard another crash as his prey broke through back to the surface. Alucard followed, steadily gaining.

Alucard shared limited telepathy with Integra thanks to the bind the Hellsing family had put on him. It was never to the level he shared with Seras, and was very much one way, but it was useful for relaying information back to Integra. And, at times like this, it was useful to get power releases from her. He showed her what he saw, and gave a general feeling on the mission. Her response came as a lessening of the binds on him. She'd granted a situation C release. That would do for the time being. He felt a new burst of speed hit him as he turned to follow the other vampire. He could sense the maggot's growing desperation, which he knew was being acted on when the first bullets started streaking by him.

* * *

The final ghoul dropped in a pile of ash and pieces. With that, Seras shut off the power tap and felt herself return to normal. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts and refocusing on the task at hand. She hid Harkonnen, drew her glocks, and started further into the ruins.

The vampire Alucard had started chasing… She checked. Alucard was STILL chasing that vampire. With an amused sigh, she continued on. The vampire Alucard was chasing had made a break for an underground portion of the ruin. She wanted to take a look. Could have been he was just making an escape, but there could be something down there. She made her way down the stairs and explored what few corridors there were. Seras stretched out her senses, trying to probe beyond the rough, dark stone walls of the ruin while slowly making her way forward. Suddenly, she stopped and looked at one section of wall. She reached out and pushed.

The wall shuddered and swung inward. It revealed a much newer metal door. She approached and pushed against it. It too swung inward, leading to a corridor heading further underground. It was decidedly new construction. Keeping her glocks trained into the darkness, she continued ahead. Seras soon realized she was strangely comfortable there. It was the light. It was shifted to the low end of the visible spectrum, eliminating nearly all the ultraviolet radiation. This was definitely a vampire haven.

* * *

Seras had found something. Alucard could tell through the link they still shared. It was time to finish this fight. Using the added strengths of his limited power release, he let fly one of Titan's fifteen millimeter rounds aimed perfectly for one of his target's legs. It blew off at the knee, and the fleeing vampire face planted into the dirt. Alucard was on him moments later. The maggot was trying to use a self-destruct spell, but Alucard blew off one of the maggot's arms before he could complete it. Alucard grabbed by front of his shirt, lifting him to eye level. His target tried shooting Alucard in the stomach, but his lead bullets did nothing. Alucard smirked, grabbing the vampire's shooting arm and twisting it until it broke. The gun fell to the ground. "Now, then," Alucard said, "I'd say it's time you gave me some answers before I send you to your eternal Hell."

Alucard met the vampire's eyes and started to probe his mind. Passing the mundane information on who this vampire was, he stabbed deep into another, more guarded portion. Alucard could see this vampire bloodline. It was not unknown to him, but it was definitely one of the lesser ones. But Alucard also saw something in that bloodline that didn't belong. He pressed deeper…

…And the vampire dissolved to ashes in his hand.

'Hmm,' Alucard thought. 'An automatic self-destruct. These maggots are smarter than I gave them credit.'

Seras's voice broke into his mind. 'Alucard, get down here now. There's something I need you to take a look at.'

* * *

Rebecca pulled back on Spitfire's charging bolt, loading a 223 caliber round into the chamber. She put the rifle on safe and held it to her side pointed towards the ground, keeping her finger away from the trigger. Thus far she was doing all right in her attempts to remember all the weapons training she'd gotten. After a while, she figured out that Matt wasn't big on calling firearms 'guns', so she did her best to call them pretty much anything else.

He walked over to her, holding the shotgun he'd named Matilda. Rebecca had raised an eyebrow at him and asked why he'd picked that name. He'd simply shrugged back saying, "Why not?"

"So," Matt started, "you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," she replied.

"Fair enough." He looked out to the new course. They'd checked out another SUV from the Hellsing motorpool and started off away from London. Matt had driven them out to a forest. She wasn't sure how far they'd gone, but it was really nice out there. Matt had suggested she relax for a bit while he got things set up, and walked into the woods hauling a pile of scrap wood he'd tossed into the SUV back in London. After returning, he'd told her to gear up.

Matt pointed off into the woods. "It's an improvised course, but it should do. We'll head off that way a ways, circle around back here, then go from there. Sound good?" Rebecca nodded. "Ok. You'll take point, and I'll pick up what you miss. These targets can take a bit of abuse before they fall apart, so fire away." With that, Matt took a few steps back. "When ever you're ready, Rebecca."

"Got it," she replied. She carefully slung Spitfire, pulling out the Walther. She started ahead, holding the Walter before her pointed at the ground. Taking in a breath, then slowly letting it out, she got herself refocused for the task at hand. After a few steps, she could see the trail Matt had blazed. She tried splitting her focus, keeping tabs on the trail and watching for targets. After another few steps, something moved fast in her peripheral vision. Rebecca turned and fired.

It was a wood target. Her shots had hit it, but not on either of the painted red and white target circles. Another volley marked some of the paint. She turned back down the trail and continued ahead.

As she progressed through the course, a few questions started circulating around her mind. The main one was, 'Why am I doing this?' On the one hand, the answer was easy. She needed to learn how to defend herself, as it seemed she had a lot more enemies than she could have guessed. On the other hand, she might have been out there because she was considering joining Hellsing. That brought on its own questions and concerns, especially after hearing about Matt's 'vacation'.

She was also getting curious about why running this course was actually working off stress. Sure, these were wood targets, but it might be in preparation for something… else. She wished she knew what that something else was. Rebecca also hoped there wouldn't a repeat of what happened in their last training session.

The course wound through the woods this way and that. Some targets sprung up as the first one did, while others were mounted on trees in plain sight and others mounted to trees far off the trail. Every so often, she heard Matt's rifle give a pop or two as he grabbed the further targets and the couple she flat out missed. Her run was more fluid than the first one she'd done at that dusty training area, but it wasn't up to Matt's level yet. She wasn't sure how long it took, but they finally returned to the starting area.

Matt spoke with her about her tactics. He noted she always used her pistol. Rebecca hadn't really noticed, but she took his word for it. Moreover, she overestimated its power, range, and recoil, which threw off her aim. He suggested that she try the rifle next round, and possibly switch between the two weapons.

She took his advice and launched herself into the next round. With the rifle held to her shoulder, she seemed to move more quickly down the trail. She aimed quickly, fired, and looked for the next target. This time, she felt something else from her mind. It was a confidence she hadn't felt before, like another sense that was guiding her aim and telling her when to switch to her pistol or switch back to the rifle. It was strange, but a good strange. She listened to this new sense, and let it guide her as she made her way through the course.

They returned to the start line much more quickly than the first time. Matt was impressed. When she told him of the sense she'd felt, he nodded. "You're starting to tap into your vampiric senses. They can be good or bad depending on how you use them. Using them as a guide is fine. Just try not to use them as a crutch."

"I'd kinda like to try it again," Rebecca said.

"Sure," Matt replied with a nod. "Must admit I'm impressed with how quickly you're progressing. You're already further than I was when I first got here."

Rebecca smiled. "Maybe you're a good teacher?"

Matt gave a bark of laughter. "Oh, get going and stop trying to inflate my ego."

Once again, Rebecca led the way through the course. She tried to heed his advice. She let this new sense suggest her actions, but she acted on them of her own volition. It wasn't as… fulfilling… as simply letting it directly affect her, but she felt in more control.

But partway through the course, her body suddenly failed…

* * *

Seras looked over her shoulder as Alucard suddenly appeared there. "What did you find?" he asked.

She pointed down the newly uncovered hallway. "See for yourself," she said.

The pair started in, steadily exploring this underground complex. The walls, floors, and ceilings were made of metals and composites. Whoever had built it was both organized and resourceful. It was only one level, but had a number of rooms. They were logically placed for a small outpost. One room was clearly for living, another for data interpretation, another held supplies of stored blood. In one was a bank of computers. Alucard walked around the room as Seras sat before one of the computer. She gained access and started poking around. "It's been wiped," she said, "but it was used not too long before we came here. Can't tell where they connected too… Hang on."

Alucard looked at her, holding some trinket that had been attempting to be a decoration. "What is it?"

"Fragments. I can't make anything of them here, but the tech back at headquarters might." She looked up at him. "We should put in a call, have them sent a Vulture out here to grab the mainframe and anything else that looks good."

Alucard nodded. "I agree." He looked around the room again. "There's nothing else to gain here. The maggot vampire left us no clues as to who he worked with, and everything, even the blood, was gained through normal means and brought here."

Seras shrugged. "We'll have to wait and see what the techs dig up from the mainframe."

* * *

Matt caught Rebecca as she fell, managing to catch Spitfire too. "Woah," he said, trying to steady her on her feet, "you ok?"

"I don't know," she replied. "I suddenly got really dizzy… Can't see straight."

"Hmm…" He pulled her arm across his shoulders, supporting her as she stood and allowing her to walk under some of her own power as he guided them back towards the SUV. "How long ago were you turned?"

"I don't know," she said again. "A week? Two?"

"Ah," he said, "that explains it."

She looked over at him. "What?"

They hadn't gotten very far, and within moments Matt had her sitting by the SUV. He disappeared around the back and returned with a cooler. "You forgot the less glamorous part of being a vampire. But don't worry, you'll be ok. Just need to drink one of these."

It had already dawned on her what he meant. "Blood?"

Matt withdrew a pair of small silver colored backs. "Blood," he confirmed. He tossed her a bag, and she looked at it. It almost looked a little like a Capris Sun drink, without the label. "I've worked on the design over the years," he said, reaching his finger under a plastic flap. He pulled and it came free, exposing a short, clear, plastic straw. "Had to work up ways to get this stuff down. Just shoot it to the back of your throat and try not to let it bother you."

"This is transfusion blood," Rebecca noted. "The bag looks a lot like one."

"Yeah," Matt said. "The fact that I don't have to suck it out of someone's vein or artery tends to help me get through it." As if to prove his point, he grabbed the straw in his mouth, turned the bag skyward, and squeezed it until it was empty. He tossed the empty pouch into a trash bag and wiped his mouth off. "One of these days, I may allow myself to enjoy that."

Rebecca looked warily at the bag for a moment, but she knew she had to face the inevitable. She copied Matt's motion, downing the bag as quickly as possible. She immediately felt better, and could even see color returning to her arms.

Matt spoke up. "I think that's enough for one day," he said. Rebecca nodded her agreement.

They packed everything away in the SUV and started back toward London, most of the trip silent as each one's mind drifted where it would. Partway back to the mansion, Rebecca looked over at Matt. She paused a moment, then spoke. "Why don't you have fangs?"

Matt smiled, but kept looking ahead. "Technically I do. They grew, like yours did. I kept them around for a few years, but after the 'vacation', I decided I was done with them. Had them ground down to a normal human size. They grow back, so I get to do it again every so often, but I've found that novocain numbs 'em well enough." He paused, then admitted, "Still pretty damn sore in the morning, though."

"Well, maybe I'll try it someday…" She trailed off, her gaze drifting back out the front window. A few moments later, she looked back to Matt. "Matt, I've got a favor to ask."

"Shoot," he said.

"Do you think you could call me 'Rho'?"

He took his eyes of the road for a moment to look over at her. "'Rho', huh? How'd you get that from 'Rebecca'?"

She smiled. "A friend of my mom's. When my mom was pregnant with me, her friend really wanted her to name me Rhonda. Apparently she really liked the name. Well, mom tried to tell her no, but it didn't stick. It came to a head when her friend called me 'Rhonda' after I was born. My mom wasn't quite 'livid' over it, but did let her friend know she was displeased. Her friend backed off after that, but I did start using Rho as a nickname once I heard the story." She shrugged. "I guess I just need to hear someone around here say it, and I think I'd most like to hear it from you."

Matt nodded, then looked over to her again with a smile. "You got it, Rho."


	7. Chapter 6

To grumpywinter – Hey, no worries. I was kidding with the 'stealing of thunder' comment. But when it comes to Alucard, are you referring to the anime, or the manga? My experience with the manga is pretty limited. Next time I swing home I'll grab the ones I've got, see if I've got time to look through them again.

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Rebecca spent much of the next day thinking. She'd wanted to go over it all the night before, but ended up being so exhausted she barely made it through a shower before collapsing into bed. But her time thinking had been well spent. She'd been debating long and hard about everything Matt had said, and trying to figure out what she should do from there. Finally, it had turned from more a question of "Why?" into one of "Why not?" She was ready to announce her decision and live with whatever consequences would come from it.

But first, she needed to find Matt so she could tell him…

After getting dressed and wandering the halls for a while, she ran into Seras. She smiled when she saw Rebecca. "Well, good evening, Rebecca. How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Matt," she said. Her preferred nickname hadn't spread far in the mansion yet, but that didn't surprise her. Eventually others would pick it up.

"You might want to try the motorpool. I think I saw him heading in there earlier today," Seras replied. "Actually, we've got a briefing before too much longer. I was getting ready to go find him, but maybe you could tell him for me?"

Rebecca nodded. "I will. And thank you, Seras." After they exchanged words of departing, Rebecca quickly found the stairs and headed up to the main floor. She remembered the route from following Matt around the day before, so returning to the motorpool was easy. The motorpool was a large garage, with levels above and below ground. It stored large armored vehicles, a variety of sedans and SUVs, and she thought she saw a strange looking jet on the lower level. The setting sun gave patches of orange light across the floor through the motorpool's open doors and sets of windows. She heard music playing quietly in the motorpool, seeming to come from a back corner. She couldn't identify it, but it had a faster beat to it.

Near the back of the upper level was an oddball in the bunch. It was a gray, two door, hatchback. From the somewhat boxy look, she could tell it was an older car, probably 80's. The back hatch identified the car as a Toyota Corolla FX, and from the looks of things it was getting a pretty major rebuilding. All four wheels were off the ground, tires removed. The hood had been taken off and set upside down on the roof, with some dirty, ragged towels separating them. There were a few tables around the car holding a variety of tools and parts, not all of which she could recognize. She circled around the car, spotting a pair of legs sticking out from under the front end. "Matt?" she said.

Planting his feet for traction, Matt pulled himself out from under the car, sliding out on a wheeled crawler. He was wearing a red t-shirt and blue jean cargo shorts, both filthy. He smiled at seeing her. "Hey, Rho. Just a sec." He reached up to the bumper, on which a remote control sat. He pointed it at the stereo sitting on a nearby table, and the music silenced. Remaining on the crawler, he hauled his arms back and laced his fingers between his head and the padding of the crawler, crossing his feet at the ankles. "What's up?"

"Umm… What is this, if I may ask?"

He looked towards the car, his head tilting relative up. "It's a car."

Rebecca chuckled. "Yes, I know it's a car. But what are you doing to it?"

Matt looked back to her and smiled. "I'm modifying it." He hopped to his feet, picking up the crawler and leaning it against the car's front bumper. "My dad picked it up for me a few years ago and got it running. But, with me here and it back in the States, I couldn't use it all that much. Well, after I'd been back a few months, I spoke with Sir Integra for a while. In the end, I convinced her that with all we do around here us vampires should have paying jobs. Alucard didn't much care, but Seras liked the idea as well. Considering we've been good little vampires, for the most part, Integra figured it would be all right. So, using those funds, I was able to get this old gal over to this side of the pond." He gave the car's fender a couple pats. "I figured that I could modify her into something of a non-descript, high-speed transport. Probably will only be able to hold two people, plus weapons, but it's a bit less noticeable than the diesels we were using at the time."

Rebecca looked over the car a bit, trying to see what he was describing. "Are you going to put guns on it?"

Matt shook his head. "Nah, I don't think I'm going to put any weapons on Jaden. I think she'll do fine with what she's getting. If I need to shoot, I'll roll down a window."

Rho looked back at Matt. "'Jaden'?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Jaden was a character I used in a game once. Seemed a fitting name. She was an engineer, and it's taking a lot of my engineering skills to get this gal on the road. Though believe it or not, I'm getting pretty close to done. All the major modifications are done. Now I just have to finish the engine, mount everything, and bolt her back together."

"Well," Rebecca replied, "I wish you luck. But Seras wanted me to remind you that you have a briefing this evening."

Matt paused a moment, the bounced the palm of his hand off his head. "Damn near forgot about it. Thanks, Rho. I've gotta go clean up."

"Actually, there was something I wanted to talk to you about."

He had already taken the dangerous round things off the floor and was wiping off his hands. "Well, feel free to come with, if you don't mind walking and talking."

She didn't mind, so she followed. Not yet ready to launch completely into it, she went over the thought processes she'd had during the day. He listened and made commentary now and then, but all in all approved her lines of thinking. Once they were in his room, he excused himself to take a shower, inviting her to poke around however she wanted.

Rebecca took the opportunity to try to learn a bit more about Matt past what she'd heard or seen. She saw the pictures he had of his family, and of another woman who looked strangely familiar… He had a few brass cartridges of varying size, a number of small items including a small gargoyle, and at the center of the collection a model of the Enterprise-A. It had a layer of dust on it, but seemed well cared for past that.

"Ah, the Connie Refit, my favorite class."

Rebecca looked back at the door. Matt had his usual blue jeans on and was toweling his upper half off as he crossed to the other side of the room. She hadn't seen him with his shirt off before. His chest and stomach were rather… furry. She told her brain to shut up before it could make any other comments. "Don't really know much about it myself, I'm afraid."

"Well, I'll learn ya it eventually," he said with a smile. He grabbed a clean red shirt, pulled on his socks and short boots, and grabbed his mission jacket. "Sorry I can't stay, but Seras gave me a ping while I was in the rain locker. But I'll make it up to you by getting us some real food when I get back if you're still up."

Rebecca's eyebrows furrowed. "We can eat real food?"

"Yeah, if we're careful." He walked over to the bookcase. "You'll want to watch what you eat at first, make sure it doesn't disagree with you." Turning back to her, he sent a small paperback book sailing her way. "In the mean while, give this a read. I've gone through it at least a dozen times, and it's a good start to a wonderful series."

She caught it, then looked down at it. It was book one of the Star Wars X-Wing series. Matt wasn't kidding at how many times he'd read it though; parts of the cover were held together with clear tape. "I do know Star Wars, but haven't read any of the books."

He smiled. "Then have I got a treat in store for you. I've got most of the good ones." Matt tossed the jacket on. "You can hang here, or not, your choice. I'll find you when I get back. Later, Rho!" With no further ceremony, he slipped out the door.

Feeling a little like she'd just been in the center of a tornado, Rebecca fell into a conveniently placed armchair, opened the book, and started reading.

* * *

Fargason stabbed a map of Europe in two places. "The first lead we've found is here, in Scotland. The second is here, in Northern France." The techs had finished looking over the mainframes Seras and Alucard had recovered. While they hadn't gotten much information off of them, checking on the connections the computer had with the rest of the world had yielded some results. "I feel we should send Alucard to the Scotland lead, and Victoria and Jemeth to France. This will be a standard recon mission, but if there is an opportunity to go in and gather better information, it will be at your discretion."

"I've been learning more about teleportation," Seras commented, "but I don't think I'm ready to take myself that far, let alone myself and Matt."

"I have already authorized usage of a Vulture," Sir Integra replied. "I approve of this mission plan, if there are no other additions."

Fargason took a brief moment to look at those gathered. Matt and Seras each shook their heads, as did Walter. Alucard simply met eyes with Fargason, otherwise not moving from his position leaning against a nearby bookcase. "None, Sir Integra."

"Then God and her Majesty go with you."

With the briefing adjourned, Alucard wasted no time in vanishing into the shadows. Seras and Matt made their usual pass by the armory, then off to the motorpool. Time was somewhat of the essence, as they needed to find and shut down this new organization as quickly as possible. Hellsing had long kept one Vulture stationed at their headquarters for rapid response purposes. With its quiet jet and stealth technology it was unlikely its use would draw attention, but it was always a risk to use.

The base's Vulture was positioned in the motorpool's lower floor directly before a launch tunnel. It traveled to the central courtyard, where a portion of the grounds had been modified to raise and slide away. It was a tricky launch, and only their best pilots were allowed to fly there.

Seras and Matt loaded up and strapped in. They brought all their gear. The Vulture would remain on station, capable of making a fast run to them if they needed their heavier weapons. The pilot got his okay to launch, and carefully throttled up the Vulture's four engines. With a noise level equivalent to a V8 engine it lifted from the deck, and with a slight tilt to its rear engines it started drifting forward. It moved down the tunnel, lit only by a series of white lights along the tunnel's walls, floor, and ceiling. In the central courtyard the hanger door, covered by various patches of grass and other plant life, rose several feet and slid aside on its rails. The Vulture stopped underneath it, and with a bit more power from its engines it rose into the sky. It turned its engines slowly into flight position, and blasted off into the growing twilight.

Normally they would have a quiet flight of equipment prep, unless there was some detail that needed discussion. However, this flight was different. Seras spoke. "So, how are things going with Rebecca?"

Matt paused a moment to think, then nodded. "Pretty well, I think. She took to the training pretty well. Her mind is a lot more focused than when she first came here, and I can tell she's been thinking a lot about joining us…"

Seras smiled. "Not quite the question I was asking, Matt."

"Oh… That," he said, looking away for a second. "Well, she's a nice girl, and we get along pretty well. Right now we're just student and teacher, and if she does join we might work together, but right now I'm not really looking."

"Neither was I when I met Alucard."

He sighed, allowing his eyes to roll back for a moment. "That doesn't mean things will happen between Rho and I like they did with you and Alucard."

She tilted her head. "Rho?"

"Her nickname," he explained. "She asked me to call her that yesterday."

She smiled again. "Oh really…?"

Matt just stared at her a moment. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing," she started with that coy little 'I'm thinking of keeping a secret' look. "It's just that when I saw her and pointed her to find you I thought she had something on her mind she wanted to tell you."

"She did," he replied. "She was bouncing ideas off of me. I think she's close to deciding on what she wants to do."

"I think she already decided," Seras countered. "And she was going to tell you."

Matt was silent for a moment as he thought, his gaze drifting to the compartment ceiling. "You know, I think you're right."

"And," she continued, "she likes you."

His head snapped to look at her. "What?"

She had that smile on again. "Trust me. Woman's intuition."

"Combined with good ol' vampire telepathy, I'll take your word on it. But still…" He shook his head. "I'll admit I'm pretty damn dense most of the time, but I just don't see it. Then again, I haven't really let my brain think in that direction for… a long time."

Seras looked out the window. They were slowing down. "Well, I'll let it go, for now. We've arrived."

Outisde, the forest that had been skimming below the Vulture slowed to a crawl. A clearing appeared, and the pilot masterfully dropped them into it. There was a light bounce as the landing gear made contact with the ground, and the right side door slid open. Matt hit the ground first, sweeping Matilda to each side before clearing the way for Seras, who had her Glocks drawn. They moved off a few paces, and the Vulture lifted off and moved clear.

'Comm check,' he thought to Seras.

'Loud and clear,' she thought back.

Matt switched from Matilda to the FS2000 and yanked its charging bolt to load a round. 'Let's move.' They started out of the clearing and into the woods. There was no moon out that night, and Matt was pushing his enhanced vision to the max to keep sight of Seras. The woods were not dense and had several patches of clearings, though each was smaller than where they'd landed. It wasn't long before Seras came to a sudden stop, turning to look at a nearby tree. It seemed a bit taller than the others. She holstered a Glock and reached to grab something on the tree. Her hand came back clutching a thick-coated wire, which ran up the length of the tree. 'That's no vine,' he thought.

'It goes straight into the ground.'

'Meaning we're close.' There was another small clearing nearby. 'Let's try there.'

'After you,' Seras responded.

Matt took point, his FS2000 pulled against his shoulder. He stopped at the clearing, allowing his eyes to pull in whatever light they could. It seemed clear, so he continued ahead. He moved to the center, then turned in a circle to look around the small field. The rifle aimed at a patch of darkness. 'There.'

Seras came out of the woods and moved to the patch. 'There's a door here.'

Matt joined her. 'You're covered.'

Seras found a short set of stairs leading down to a metal door. It seemed like some sort of bomb shelter. The insides were even darker than the outside. 'Wait here,' she thought. 'I'll see what I can find.'

Matt waited as Seras disappeared into the darkness. There were several minutes of dark quiet, the occasional breeze stirring up the trees. Finally, he saw a small amount of light come from the other side of the door. Matt needed no further invitation and started in. This part, at least, was equipped like a bomb shelter. Cots to one side, canned good to another. What was different about it was the side wall, with secret door opening into some sort of underground compound. Seras turned and spoke. "Whoever was here is gone. I can't sense any activity down there."

"I take it you found one of these before."

She nodded. "Yes. Alucard and I found one in some ruins in England. Got surprised by a vampire and a flock of ghouls. But if they were going to attack, they would have by now."

"Agreed." He looked down into the uncovered corridor. "Well, let's see what we can find, huh?"

They started down, the doors closing behind them. Matt, in a moment of paranoia, checked to make sure they could open the door from inside. After he felt certain they weren't trapped, they continued inward. The facility was of decent size. It seemed to have at least two floors with many rooms on each floor. Several had surveillance equipment, all powered down. There was a cleared out lab, dry blood stores, and a coffin that had broken while being moved. "I'll check the lower floor," Matt said.

"I'll see if there's anything else hidden up here," Seras replied.

Matt found a ramp heading to the lower level and carefully made his way down it. He switched back to Matilda, loading one of his silver slug magazines. He found much the same as they had above. But as he searched, he started feeling a familiar presence. He wasn't surprised when he turned a corner and saw a gleaming silver twin blade sword held by a man in Iscariot robes. Matt held his shotgun at his side. "Brian."

"Matthew," he replied. "Oh, sorry, you prefer Matt."

Matt nodded. "I do, but no worries. I take it we're here for the same reason."

"I believe we are." Brian held his sword staff before him diagonally, the blade stretching from right ear to left thigh. "Though if you would please draw your swords. I still have no intention of silencing you tonight, but I will need some evidence that I at least briefly engaged you."

"Sure." Matt swung Matilda over his shoulder and back onto its mounts, then dropped the backpack and drew his short swords. "You had first crack last time, so how about I start us off this time?"

"That would be fine." He let one foot slide back and to the side, bracing himself for the impact.

Matt swung his blades around to his protected side. Brian easily blocked his attack, and Matt easily brought one of his swords in line to block Brian's counter attack. Matt followed up with an overhead arc, also blocked, before he jumped back and circled. He knew the room beside them was a decent sized square, which would give them both room to maneuver. He stepped back to it, gave a solid kick behind him to burst the door open, and backed into the room. Brian followed. "So, what have you guys figured out thus far?"

"Whoever we're facing has a like of ghoul traps."

Matt nodded. "Yeah, we figured that out too. They also have a habit of self-destructing if you scan them."

Brian gave a slight bow of his head. "Not something we could have determined. Thank you. Though your girl Conway might be able to help you there." Brian started the next volley, giving a series of blows to Matt's left, right, and head. Matt blocked them all, and Brian retreated.

"Why do you say that?" Matt asked.

"I hear she managed to slip by the DPSD troops at the home of her former master. Was able to use some sort of mind game to make the squad leader think it was all clear."

"So," Matt said, continuing Brian's statement, "she might be able to get a read on one of 'em, and since she doesn't have the same raw power as Alucard she might be able to get in without the guy blowing up." He nodded. "Thanks, Brian. That was helpful."

"Well," Brian said as he brought his staff up in salute. "I shall find a place to wait until you and Ms. Victoria depart. I had finished checking this level when I encountered you. You may check if you like, but I do not think there is anything to find here."

"Nah, that's the impression I got before I saw you, too." He started to turn and leave, but paused and turned back to Brian. "Oh, by the way, where is the good Paladin Anderson this lovely evening?"

Brian was silent for several moments. It was obvious he wasn't sure if he should talk or not. Finally, after a long held blink, he said, "He's in Scotland."

Matt held up a hand. "That's enough." He sheathed his swords and touched a couple fingers to his temple in salute. "Always a pleasure, Brian. Until the next one."

Brian returned to the shadows as Matt swung around, slung his backpack back into place, and started up the ramp. As he reached the top, he saw Seras about to head down. "Nothing down there. How 'bout you?"

"Same. They cleared out of this place a while ago and took everything they could with them." She looked at him funny. "I thought I heard something from down there. Sounded like swords."

"Brian," he said. "We sparred a little, but he's no threat. For now, at least. Though if we want to watch an Alucard / Anderson duel, we should get over to Scotland. Seems Iscariot got similar leads, and there's a decent chance he's up there." Matt smirked. "I figure that it's a strong enough lead for Iscariot to send their heavy hitter, it's worth our checking out more closely. I've got no concerns about Alucard though."

Seras shook her head. "Me neither." She looked back over her shoulder, as if looking back through the door. "If I know Alucard, he's likely enjoying himself."

* * *

Alucard swung his pistols around, sending another volley from each gun. The bullets impacted the far wall, each giving a puff of mercury. He'd missed, but no matter. More time to revel in the battle. "Oh come now, 'Mighty Paladin'," he said with a sneer. "If you so love your God, why not let me send you to him?"

From the shadows near where he'd fired, Anderson's Scottish accented voice replied, "Because I want to send you to the fiery pits of hell first, vampire!"

Ah… Lovable, predictable, Anderson.

The lead turned out to be an old Global Fang base in the foothills of Scotland. It had been evacuated after their attack on the Hellsing mansion years before. Much of it was a glorified cave, but some deeper parts were somewhat sculpted and reinforced with stone. Anderson had announced his presence in his standard way, by throwing a sword at him.

There was a metal glint from behind a stone column. Alucard fired Jackal, shattering one blade as another was sent sailing his way. Alucard stepped aside and fired, catching Andeson's hand in the palm with one of Titan's fifteen millimeter rounds. It tore a bloody hole in the center of his hand.

Anderson turned to scowl at Alucard. Alucard saw him mutter something. As he finished, a bright white light flared from the sides of his wound. The wound closed, and a moment later the light faded to reveal his now intact hand. It had happened faster than his old regeneration techniques. Alucard smirked at him. "Well, it seems your masters have altered your programming."

"All the better to complete my Holy work, vampire." He drew another pair of swords and charged.

Alucard fired again, this time blowing off one of Anderson's legs. Anderson again mumbled something, now identifiable as some Latin phrase. Another white light flared from the stump of his leg, slowly moving downward and leaving behind a reconstructed leg. Alucard simply watched, intrigued. The light faded once the priest's toes had reformed. It was bare, but it was intact. Anderson stood, and once more charged.

Entertaining as it was, Alucard knew he didn't have the time needed to fully explore this new way to separate the good paladin from even more of his limbs. He fired two rounds, Anderson blocking each one with a sword, which shattered on impact. Anderson reached into his robes for another pair, but Alucard had already launched another of Titan's rounds. It struck Anderson square in the forehead, blasting him back onto his back. He fell like a ton of bricks.

Alucard's pistols disappeared into his trench coat, the elder vampire returning to his search. Anderson wouldn't be down for long, but he should have several minutes to check for hidden areas or computers. He did find it, but was less than impressed. It was a single room built off the side of a corridor. But on further examination, it seemed there might still be something of value there.

He was about to check the computer when another blade passed by his head and embedded in a nearby wall. Alucard swung around, drawing pistols. Anderson was already back on his feet. Joshua wouldn't have kept him down long, but he knew Titan would have kept him down longer than it had.

It seemed the Anderson's regeneration was being perfected. Iscariot had picked an annoying time to get smart.

Alucard opened fire, driving Anderson back far enough for Alucard to exit the hidden room. He wanted some more room to maneuver. Just because he could take hits from Anderson's swords didn't mean he particularly wanted to.

One bullet sliced across Anderson's shoulder, and Alucard noticed something. It wasn't healing, at least not quickly. It seemed they had perfected the big things, but lost the little ones. When there was a lull in the action, Anderson muttered his Latin phrase and the injury healed with a flash of light.

Alucard now knew what he had to do. Question was if he had a small enough bullet to do it with…

The fight had moved closer to the old base's entrance. The air was filled with dust knocked up by the action, and Alucard saw it drawn away as someone opened the hidden entrance to the base. He knew that Seras and young Jemeth were entering behind him He glanced back, seeing that Jemeth was wearing his brownings. That would suffice. He managed to score a hit with Titan in Anderson's head, then pumped in three more for good measure. The wounds started closing almost immediately.

He dropped Titan, reaching out towards Jemeth. One of his brownings leapt from the holster, landing in Alucard's hand. Alucard swung back around. Anderson was already returning to his feet.

Alucard fired.

His bullet hit its mark. Anderson now had a hole in his throat. As with the shoulder impact, it wasn't severe enough to be automatically healed. Anderson tried to talk, but his vocal chords had been destroyed. All he could do was fix Alucard with a particularly venomous glare, something Alucard found quite amusing, and vanish in his flurry of holy papers.

By this point, Seras and Jemeth had joined him. He rolled the pistol over in his hand, then turned to hand it to Jemeth grip first. "You're welcome," Jemeth said. It was clear he wasn't expecting Alucard to say anything about it, so he didn't. Instead, Alucard informed them of the fight, and of what was hidden just up the corridor. Seras left to check it out while Jemeth exited the base to make contact with headquarters.

No comments on how he'd masterfully sent Anderson packing… Hmm… Perhaps the next time, he would find a more… messy… way of dealing with the paladin.

* * *

Rebecca put the finishing touches on the e-mail she wanted to send home. She'd been working on it over the past several hours, wanting to have it finished by the time Matt returned. Figured it would be a good idea to have someone read over it, make sure she wasn't giving too much away. She knew her folks would be worrying by now, but they should be somewhat at ease soon.

She'd come up with what looked to her to be a plausible cover story. For why she hadn't been to school in a few days, she explained she'd been ill. She didn't get sick often, but when she did… when she'd been human… it tended to hit her hard. Along with that, she said she'd been given an opportunity for some study in England, which she'd jumped at. She'd wanted to visit England for some time, so that part made sense too.

As for staying there, she'd have to think of some job offer she received, and again jumped at. As far as he folks were concerned, she'd just arrived for her studies, so she had some time before she needed to worry about that part.

Matt and the others would probably return soon. It was the middle of the night, but he might still be up to reading the message and listening to what she had to say. She was still unsure of her future, and knew that she would need support from those around her in the coming weeks, but one thing was certain.

She was joining Hellsing.


	8. Chapter 7

Ok, this note goes to everyone, so I can make sure I'm clear on this.

The reason that my updates are coming so quickly is because the story is done. All I need to do is proof the chapters, make minor adjustments as I think are needed, and post them. That's also part of the reason it took me a year to start posting this.

The other reason is that I have many other things grabbing for my time. I'm a full time college student doing mechanical engineering. This semester, and next, I'm pushing 18 credit hours, I'll have summer classes, then another flock of them next fall before graduation.

And then, life will get even more packed.

Now, I've told you all what my plans are for the future fics, and regardless of what happens in my life over the next few years I'm going to do all I can to fulfill them. However, I'm not going to apologize if it takes me a little longer to finish than I'd hoped because other things jump higher on my list of priorities.

I hate to dampen anyone's enthusiasm, but I do feel that I need to explain the situation here. I've had enough failures of communication to deal with in recent years, and I don't want there to be one here. I'm glad that folks enjoy my writing. It's one of the few hobbies I can keep these days, and knowing folks enjoy it keeps me doing it. Still, I can't put ALL of my time into it.

Ok, rant over. Back to the show.

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Matt stepped down from the Vulture and gave a sigh of relief. His very long night was soon to be over, once he finished helping move computer, and putting away gear, and getting cleaned up… He might be ready to go to bed by, say, sunrise?

As he started looking for a table on which to set his backpack, he saw the nearby elevator open. Walter exited, pushing a cart along towards the Vulture. Matt smiled. "Greetings, Walter! And how are you this fine evening?"

Walter paused and gave a bow of his head. "I am fine, Mr. Jemeth. I felt it would be helpful if I brought a cart to return weapons to the armory. Alucard has already returned his pistols, and informed me you and Ms. Victoria would be returning by Vulture."

"It's much appreciated, Walter. Thank you," said Seras as she approached. She loaded her gear first, setting Harkonnen on the lower shelf and everything else in the upper bin. Matt set his rifle and shotgun on the shelf, and as with Seras put everything else in the bin. He had to put a fair amount more force into it, but Walter turned the cart and started back to the elevator.

With one less thing to worry about, Matt turned his attention on the computer Alucard had found. Several techs were unloading it from the Vulture, Matt started over intending to lend a hand. "Matt!" He stopped mid stride, looking to the door. There entered Rho, giving him a smile and wave.

"Oh, hey Rho." He met her partway across the motorpool garage. "Sorry. Mission lasted longer than I thought it would. Enjoy the book?"

"Yeah," she replied. "I tossed it in my room to finish later. Didn't think you'd mind."

He gave a dismissive wave. "Not at all. Enjoy." Matt looked over at the Vulture. Seras had joined the techs, and the computer was now on the floor. Seras looked over, gave him a small smile, and waved him away. He looked back to Rho. "Well, looks like I'm sprung. So, what's up?"

"I'm still curious about what you'd said about food before."

"Ah! Now I remember." He smiled, gesturing back toward the door.

Matt led the way down the corridors of headquarters. The lower level the motorpool led into the basement levels. The cafeteria was still open, in its late night mode. Matt looked back to Rho. "Must admit that 'midrats' might not be the best example of the local fare, but it's better than nothing."

Rho looked confused. "'Midrats'?"

"Short for 'midnight rations', I think. I think I heard my Dad say it once. Might be a Navy thing." He pulled the door open, holding it for Rho to enter before him. The midrats mostly consisted of anything that hadn't been cooked in time for dinner. It was all pretty basic; corn, lima beans, beef-a-roni, fried potatoes, etc.. Matt had learned to expect the following from midrats: it would be relatively edible, and it wouldn't be poisonous. Past that, if you thought it tasted good, good for you. Matt was pretty easy going, normally finding something that he thought tasted ok.

Rho joined him at the table as he finished putting a layer of pepper onto his corn and started blending it in. Matt paused long enough to look over her selections. Lima beans, the beef-a-roni, and a buttered biscuit. "Yeah, I'd say you're fine."

"Thanks." She grabbed the salt and started shaking it over her lima beans. Rho was silent for a few moments, but as she set the shaker down she spoke. "I think I'm going to ask to join Hellsing."

Matt quickly swallowed his bite. "I'm glad to hear that, though you'll have to speak with Sir Integra first. Better wait until daylight, though. I'm sure she's gotta sleep too."

"Any pointers?"

He nodded. "Sure. Why are you joining? Why should you be here?"

The first part seemed to come easy. "Out of the options I've been given it seems to be the best one. I'm learning how things work around here pretty quickly, and I think I could be useful." She paused. "Also… to be honest I really don't have anywhere else to go."

"Ok, don't say that part," Matt quickly responded. "While I'm sure she knows it, it won't help you." He looked at her a moment, thinking back to his conversations with Sir Integra years ago. "Though I think I know a few things that might."

* * *

Sir Integra Wingates Hellsing regarded Conway and Jemeith with a steady eye as they entered, Jemeth leading. They stopped several paces from her desk. Conway followed Jemeth's lead in a bow. Sir Integra placed her cigar in the ashtray, folding her hands on the desk before her as they stood straight. Jemeth stepped aside, Conway stepping forward. "I take it you have made your decision," Integra said.

Conway had her hands clasped behind her, standing tall. "I have, Sir Integra. I wish to join the Hellsing Organization."

She'd come right out and said it. Integra suspected Jemeth, but said nothing to him. "There are already three vampires in this organization. It is rare that we need more than one. What capability would you give us that we don't already have?"

"Flexibility," Conway replied immediately. "I know enough about the organization to know Alucard is considered a trump card. Matt and Seras team up often, and they're very effective, but if they go on a mission and something else comes up, Alucard is the only backup. My training is nearly complete. I could team up with Matt, leaving Seras available for other operations, which would help protect the human troops in more operations."

In a split second, Integra's gaze snapped over to Jemeth and back to Conway. He had spoken with Conway before she had come to Integra's office. Though the logic was sound, and Integra could tell that Conway believed what she was saying. It seemed that working with Jemeth had been good for her. Integra was willing to allow her to continue. "Very well," Integra said. "Continue to work with Jemeth for the time being. When an appropriate mission develops, we will see how well you perform. You're dismissed."

Conway bowed, as did Jemeth, and both started for the door. "Jemeth," Integra said, "remain here."

They both stopped, but she heard Jemeth mutter something to Conway about meeting her later. Conway left the room, Jemeth returning to her desk. "Yes, Sir Integra?"

"I expect her performance to exceed my expectations."

"Yes, Sir Integra."

"You're dismissed." With another bow, Jemeth turned and departed. Sir Integra grabbed her cigar, relit it, and took a drag from it. Something told her the coming days would be… interesting.

* * *

Matt returned to his room to find Rho slumped in a chair, a mixture of relief, joy, and worry on her face. She looked over as he entered. "Seems like the hours we spent talking were time well spent."

He smiled at her. "So it would seem." They'd managed to catch a little sleep, which was enough for Matt for the time being. He'd catch a nap later in the day and be ready for that night, just in case. "Well, Rho, what would you like to do next?"

"Honestly? Work of some frayed nerves." She shuddered slightly. "I just need to distract myself for a bit."

"Yeah, I know," he replied with a nod. "I've gotten better at that." His eyes shot over to the clock for a moment. "And you're in luck. I've got just the thing." Matt walked over to the TV, grabbed one of the 360's controllers, and tossed it over to Rho. "It's about time for my meeting, and you're more than welcome to participate."

Curious, Rho pulled her chair closer to the TV as Matt pressed the power buttons on it and the 360. Moments later, Rho was looking at the dashboard screen for Halo 3. Matt looked over to her. "You have any experience with Halo 3?"

"Not really," she replied. "I played one and two a bit. Got through the single player mode without going insane, but never played it on-line."

"Ah, well, then you're in for a hell of a time. These people can be as crazy as a bag of squirrels." Matt grabbed a headset and slipped it on. Almost immediately after logging in on-line, a message indicator popped up. Matt opened it.

Nekbrekr's voice replied, "Hey, join my fucking game."

Rho looked over at him. "Who's that?"

"A friend," he replied. "I met him a while ago. We've got times we usually meet on-line and duke it out. Generally, I'm the one that has to pass on a game. He's good, better than I am in some ways, but I've managed to take him down as many times as he's killed me."

Rho was already logged in as his guest, and Nekky tended to prefer custom made games to matched ones. Everything should work out fine. Tapping the appropriate buttons on his controller, he brought up Nekbrekr's game screen. "Hey, man," he said into the mic.

"Yo," Nekbrekr's voice came from the TV. "Brought a friend."

"Yeah, I figured it was only fair, considering you've got KC with ya."

Rho leaned over to him, speaking into the mic. "Just call me 'Sniper Bait'."

Matt laughed, his voice accompanied by Nekky's and KC's over the TV speakers. "That gives me an idea," Nekbrekr said. "Snipers on Hang 'em High?"

Hang 'em High was the name of a map from Halo 1 that Nekbrekr was fond of. When Bungie had brought it back for 2 and 3, he'd started using the map at least once almost every time they played. "Let's stick with normal weapons," Matt replied. He looked over at Rho and smiled. "Sniper Bait here could use some time to learn the game again."

"Sure, why not? Let's do it."

The screen showed his progress as the map image and weapons setting changed. In the meantime, Matt shut off the mic and turned to Rho. "I figure now's the best time to meet him. It's a Saturday morning, so he's likely coming off a long night of drinking and Halo."

"So he's easier now?"

"Umm… Not really. More obvious in his moves though. Just keep tabs on how he plays, so you can stand a better chance against him when he's sober… or at least less drunk." Matt shrugged. "Hey, it worked for me."

The loading screen came up. Nekky had set it as a free for all match. "If it moves, kill it."

"Not including you, right?" Rho asked.

"No, me included. Just try not to screen watch." He chuckled. "Don't worry too much about it, though. My targets are Nekky and KC."

The level came up; and industrial area with many ramps, catwalks, a couple towers, and a field of blocks giving varying amounts of cover. Matt made for the nearest enclosed ramp, looking for a longer range weapon than his assault rifle. Rho made a similar move into one of the towers.

Matt came up on the sniper rifle. Knowing Nekky would make a move for it, he found a spot of cover nearby and kneeled behind a corner. He heard a metallic clink as a weapon was dropped to the floor behind him. Moments later, Nekky's blue armored Spartan came to the same T intersection Matt had used for cover, turning to head the other way. Matt opened fire, holding it until Nekbrekr fell to the ground, dead.

Nekbrekr's voice yelled, "You camping bitch!"

Matt smiled, and quoted the famous Red vs. Blue series. "It's a legitimate strategy!"

The battle ebbed and flowed. Nekky wracked up kills once he got to a high spot with his sniper rifle, but Matt managed to tag him a few times at range with the battle rifle. Rho managed to remain hidden most of the time, playing hide and seek with KC on multiple occasions. Each scored a number of kills, Matt keeping tabs on Rho and covering her a few times.

In the end, Nekbrekr managed to edge ahead of Matt, reaching the thirty kill mark first. He gave his standard cheers of victory, which included the standard put-downs. Matt muted him, waiting until the speaker icon next to his name stopped flashing. "So," Matt said, "new map?"

"Two on one," KC said. "I've gotta jet."

"Ok. See ya, KC." KC's nametag disappeared from the screen. "Snowbound?"

"That works. Gimmie a sec." Again, the image and text on the screen changed as Nekbrekr changed the settings. It became a two on one team game, Matt and Rho playing blue to Nekky's red. A countdown timer appeared on the screen, and moments later the level appeared around them.

This was one of the new maps, originally shown during Bungie's public beta test of Halo 3's multiplayer mode. Matt knew the map pretty well, and helped guide Rho as he could. They were on the same team, so he had no hard spots with looking at her half of the screen.

They worked together pretty well, Rho having gotten a handle on how the game worked during the previous match. She proved deadly accurate with the battle rifle, Matt having several Rambo moments as he got hold of the tripod mounted chain gun and ran around wreaking havoc. As Matt had noted, Nekky was at the tail end of a long night of drunken Halo. His mental faculties were probably dragging along like a dying hippo. He wasn't able to adapt to Matt and Rho's teamwork. They beat him thirty to fifteen.

"Ok," Nekky said as the matchmaking screen came back up. "Last game. Me versus Jemmat."

"Sounds fine by me, Nekky. Sniper Bait?" He looked to Rho with a smile.

"Hey!" she exclaimed with a look of mock injured pride. "Oh, all right, fine. Be that way."

After a quick log-off / log-on, Matt returned to the screen. "Ok, Nekbrekr. Let's do it."

The final round was rocket / snipe on Hang 'em High. Having gotten reacquainted with the map, Matt felt pretty confident in his chances of success. Rho remained there as 'emotional support'. Immediately after spawning, Matt fell back behind cover, zoomed his rifle, and started scanning. He saw where Nekky had spawned and was running for cover. He aimed quickly and fired, managing a lucky headshot. Rho was impressed, but Matt admitted the truth.

It was a slow match, each opponent having short runs of kills before the other adapted to the change in tactics. Again, it was a fight to thirty kills, and it was neck and neck to the wire. Matt stood with twenty-eight, Nekbrekr with twenty-nine. Matt was hiding on a catwalk, waiting for his chance. He saw Nekky run below him. Matt turned, switched to his rocket launcher, aimed straight down, and with a jump he fired twice.

Nekbrekr dodged the first one, jumping aside and away from the explosion, but his dodge carried him straight into the second rocket. His body was sent flailing toward the center of the map, as Matt landed and ran for a nearby ramp to find more cover. He wouldn't have long to hide.

The best escape route took him across a long, exposed, raised walkway. He ran full bore, counting down from five. As he hit zero, he started his character jumping, crouching, starting and stopping. He heard the whizzes of several sniper rounds passing near him, each one barely missing the mark. Somehow, he made it into the tunnel without getting tagged. He started through the corridors, looking for a window in the main part of the map. He swung hard right, then hard left, seeing the room he'd wanted before him. It had a wide window, giving one an excellent view across the map. It also made one extremely vulnerable.

Nekky would be expecting this. Therefore, it was time to try something different. He had one piece of equipment on him, a bubble shield. It would do nicely. He chucked it at the ground before him, just behind the window. It activated, and Matt stepped inside it. A bullet smacked the shield, Matt tracking it to where Nekky stood. He was moving off, knowing he couldn't breech the shield.

He was too slow. Matt sidestepped out of the bubble, aimed, and fired. Nekbrekr fell to the ground, dead.

They returned to the match screen. Matt was a more fair winner than Nekky, but Rho's applause came over the mic pretty well. "Well, that was fun," Matt said.

"Eh, shaddap," Nekbrekr replied.

Matt smiled. "I'm out. 'Till later, ok?"

"Yeah. See ya, Jemmat."

Matt reached over to the 360 and shut it down. He turned to Rho and smiled. "I don't know about you, but I need more sleep, so I'm gonna have to shoo you out of here for a couple few hours, ok?"

"All right," Rho replied. She paused a moment, then gave a wide mouthed yawn. "Seems I'm in the same boat." She got to her feet and started for the door.

Matt, after giving a reply yawn, hauled himself to his feet and joined her. "Get some good rest. Decent chance we'll have something to do tonight."

"Will do. You too, Matt." She stopped long enough to give him a smile, then left his room and started away.

Matt pulled the door closed and moved to set his alarm. He thought back to what Seras had told him. He still wasn't sure if he saw what she'd seen, but he wouldn't count it out just yet. Still, he could let it go for the time being. Sleep was now very high on his to-do list.


	9. Chapter 8

Ok, ahead on homework for the moment. (Paper over the weekend, plus test Monday, plus another test Wednesday, if memory serves, but right for this particular chunk of time I can relax.)

Going back to my usual commentary: Yeah, I know I've been doing a fair number of Alucard / Anderson fights recently. In the past, they seemed to be more of a 'show that character's progression in combat capabilities' sort of thing. Well, that ended with Seras's fight in Demon Force, so now I feel it's time to show the good Paladin becoming a much more difficult opponent.

Actually, I'm not sure Anderson appears in the next story, as I've got it planned… I'll have to check my notes again.

Not sure if there will be an update tonight. Depends on how much time I have this afternoon. Got something going on later that's been known to end as late as 4 AM, so we'll have to see what happens.

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That evening, Rebecca again climbed the steps to Sir Integra's office. Matt was already there in his blue jeans, black boots, and mission jacket. Rebecca, still deciding on her 'mission garb', had chosen a pair of black jeans, white long sleeve shirt, and a red vest, paired with short boots similar to Matt's. The vest carried the Hellsing coat of arms on its back and at left breast pocket level. Matt gave her a smile. "So, Rho, you ready for the big leagues?"

She hesitated before answering. "I'm not sure. But I'll give it my best shot."

"That's all I ask," he replied, gesturing to the door. "Shall we?"

Matt opened the door, allowing Rebecca to pass first, then walking with her to Sir Integra's desk. She saw Walter, who gave her a smile and slight bow of his head. Another man, somewhat heavy set with graying hair and mustache, stood near a map of London. Finally, a thinner man in a brown and green uniform stood to one side. Sir Integra herself sat at her desk, cigar in hand. Matt spoke. "Reporting as ordered, Sir Integra."

Sir Integra simply looked to the man by the map. He first looked at Rebecca. "Greetings, Ms. Conway," he said with a deep, rumbling voice in the now standard British accent. "I am Peter Fargason. I head mission planning and assist in intelligence analysis." He gestured to the soldier. "This is Harison. He is our primary field commander. You and Jemeth will be following his orders during this mission."

Rebecca nodded. "I understand." She saw Matt look toward Harison ever so slightly with a bit of a smile. Harison replied with a nearly imperceptible nod.

"Now that introductions are complete," Sir Integra said, "please begin your briefing, Fargason."

"Yes, Sir Integra," Fargason replied. "In all our recent excitement, we've had to deal with our standard operations as best as possible. Now that things have calmed a bit, and intelligence operations are still in progress, it's time to clean house of a few pests." He turned to the screen, holding out a small laser pointer. A red dot appeared on the map. "We've known of this location for some time. There is a single vampire and a number of ghouls. We will send in one squad of troops. Conway and Jemeth will give them cover, and Jemeth will silence the vampire. Alucard has been informed of this operation, and will be ready to assist Jemeth if needed."

Rebecca heard something in her mind. It sounded like Matt's voice. 'Fat chance.'

"Very well," Sir Integra replied. "May God and Her Majesty go with you."

"Amen," Harison replied.

Matt led the way out of the room, Rebecca remaining silent until they'd reached the stairs to the basement levels. "'Fat chance'?" she asked.

He looked over to her and smiled. "Heard that, eh?"

"Yeah, I did. So we're telepathic, now, too?"

Matt nodded. "Yep. And about that comment, well… I'd rather not give Alucard any more reason to lord over me. I'm finally getting to the point that I don't want to kill him every other day. Now it's just every other week." They continued down the dark halls, soon coming to the armory door. "Walter will be down in a sec. I'm gonna go ahead and start strapping on my gear."

He started with his holster belt, which he paused to look over for a moment, noting it had been altered. He went ahead and stuffed his twin Browning Hi-Powers into place. He located his frame-like backpack and snapped in magazines of ammunition for his rifle and shotgun. He snapped the weapons into place next. Walter entered soon after. "Ah, Ms. Conway and Mr. Jemeth. Are you ready for your mission?"

"Just about," Matt replied, grabbing an X-shaped scabbard and sliding home a pair of short swords.

"I think so," Rebecca said. "First time doing this for real."

"Well," Walter replied, "I imagine you will be fine. Mr. Jemeth had a mission like this early in his career as well."

Matt smirked. "Don't tell me you're giving her the M-60."

"I'm not," he replied. "I felt, if it is acceptable to the both of you, that Ms. Conway would do better carrying Spitfire, plus a sidearm."

"I think I'd like that," Rebecca said.

Matt nodded. "Works for me."

"Excellent." He located a few weapons cases, placing them on a nearby table. "First, you will need this." He held a holster belt to her. It had a single pistol holster, plus loops holding both pistol and rifle magazines. "I feel you would do best with one of our Walther P99 pistols."

"That's the one Matt had me try before," she said.

He held a pistol, grip first, to her. Following the guidance Matt had given her before, she ejected the magazine and checked it for ammunition. It was fully loaded. Shoving the magazine back into the grip, she slid it into the holster. "The belt also holds an additional four pistol magazines, each with thirteen rounds, and four thirty round magazines for Spitfire."

Next to her arms came Spitfire. It had a shoulder strap attached this time, so she slung it in a comfortable position. It was not yet loaded.

"Before you go into battle," Walter continued, "I would suggest you load and cycle both weapons, so you won't have to when you're in the thick of things."

"I will, Walter. Thanks."

"You are quite welcome, Ms. Conway. And for you, Mr. Jemeth, I have your request ready."

"Oh?" Matt walked over to him.

"First," Walter said, "a temporary hip holster for your auto-mag. I have little doubt you will need it. The right hip holster will carry an additional two magazines for it." Matt accepted and strapped on the holsters. "For under your jacket, I have a new holster for your FN Five-Seven pistols. Your holster belt has been modified to carry six browning magazines and two 5-7 magazines, though the cycling rails have been removed."

"That's ok, Walter," Matt replied as he removed his jacket. "I really don't use them much anymore."

"The browning magazines are still thirteen rounds," Walter continued. "The 5-7 magazines, as you know, carry twenty rounds each, though as I warned you they are simply silver bullets, no explosives or mercury charge. You will need additional accuracy to use them against vampires."

"Understood, Walter." With that, he finished strapping on all his weapons. Rebecca kept count, her surprise steadily growing. In total, he was carrying five pistols, one rifle, one shotgun, and two short swords into battle.

It must have shown on her face, because Matt chuckled when he turned around. "I've long since decided that I'm most comfortable when carrying enough weapons for a small company of troops, though I am going in two pistols heavy this time." He must have sensed her thought, because he continued, "And no, you don't have to do it if you don't want to."

"All right…" she replied.

Loaded up and ready to go, Matt and Rebecca returned to the corridors. Matt led them to an outdoor staging area. A number of soldiers stood nearby, talking amongst themselves. "These are good people," Matt said. "They know their job really well, but they look to us from time to time when they need a boost of confidence. This can be a scary job. Just remember, we've all got your back, and we know you've got ours."

Rebecca nodded, unsure of what to say. Matt seemed to understand, and continued to speak. "I should let you know what we're facing here. On the global threat scale, this is pretty small, but every case is something of a tragedy. Likely, this vampire preyed on the homeless, drinking their blood and turning them into ghouls. They didn't choose this fate, and there is no way for them to ever be human again. All we can offer is an end, and a promise to stop the one who caused it."

She nodded again, finally finding words to speak. "I'm not sure if that helps, but I do understand. Thank you for the reminder. I'll do my best."

Matt gave a small smile. "That's all I ask."

"Squad, fall in!" came a barked order. Matt gave Rebecca's shoulder a pat and led the way. They stood at the end of the formation, mimicking their posture of attention.

Harison walked the line, giving them their briefing. One of the shelters in the not so nice part of London had been taken. They expected one vampire and at least twenty ghouls. Rebecca and Matt would accompany the human troops for the initial engagement, and Matt would split off to engage the vampire.

She heard the rumble of a diesel engine nearby, shifting her eyes to see a large van-like transport come to a stop nearby. "Load up!" Harison shouted.

Matt broke into a run, Rebecca quickly following suit. 'Keep sharp, Rho,' she thought. 'They're counting on you tonight.' They were silent for the trip; the human troops all preparing for the mission ahead. Matt's eyes were shut, his face showing nothing. Rebecca looked up and down the transport, listening to the troops as they made their checks and trying to cram as much as she could.

Before too long the transport came to a stop, Matt's eyes snapping open. The ramp dropped, Matt swinging out before it hit the ground. Rebecca waited for the ramp to stop, then ran down it and moved over by Matt. The troops checked their gear and waited for instructions. Harison looked over the building, and Rebecca got her first real look at the area. It was dark; few streetlights were working. A number of the nearby buildings looked pretty run down. The shelter was up the street a short ways, and the smell from its direction carried with it death and decay. She felt a shudder run up her spine, and couldn't quite stop it.

They moved towards the shelter, the streets strangely quiet. The shelter itself was a two-story building, looking like an older style townhouse. Its windows were dark, but Rebecca thought she saw movement. She heard Matt's voice in her head again. 'If you see something, don't be silent. Speak up.'

Rebecca turned to Harison, speaking quietly. "Umm… Sir. I think I see movement inside that window." She pointed. It was one of the windows close to the door.

"Thank you," he replied. "Johnson, Forbes, take point. Breech, blast, and clear."

"Aye, sir," came their reply.

"Everyone else, back them up. We follow them in."

"Aye, sir!"

Johnson and Forbes started for the door. Matt remained close by, so Rebecca did the same. She saw him grab Matilda, load it, and yank its charging lever. She swung Spitfire off her shoulder, loading in a magazine and getting ready for action. Behind them, the other troops charged their MP5s. After a finger count down from three, Johnson hammered his booted foot against the door. After a few hits, it swung open. He and Forbes pulled grenade pins and tossed, swinging back to take cover. There were two explosions and flashes of orange from inside. Matt didn't hesitate, charging in. Rebecca, running on automatic, followed.

The room was filled with smoke, but she got to clear air quickly. She was in a study, fragments of wooden furniture… and body parts… strewn about. She found Matt, who was leveling his shotgun at what looked like a zombie straight from the movies. He fired, blasting a huge hole in the left side of its chest. Moments later, it fell apart in body parts and ashes. She saw movement to her side, swinging Spitfire around. It was another ghoul, moving right for her. But she couldn't pull the trigger… This was different from before; when she and Matt had been training and the ghouls attacked. Somehow, she couldn't fire…

Suddenly, a loud blast sounded in the room. A large hole appeared in the ghoul's head, and it fell to the ground in pieces and ash. She looked over, seeing Matt with his shotgun leveled. "Hesitation is a good thing," he said. "Means you still have your humanity. But watch yourself. They might not have chosen this, but they're still under the vampire's control. They'll tear you apart if they can."

She nodded. "I understand."

"Good. Let's keep moving."

* * *

'I was right. She hesitated.'

Alucard stood on a building across the street, one foot on the raised ledge before him as he looked down at the shelter before him and watched the night unfold. Seras, curious how well her fledgling would perform, asked him to keep her appraised.

'She'll do better,' Seras thought back. 'Matt can be very charismatic. I have no doubt he'll keep her moving.'

'You seem to be correct,' Alucard thought to her. 'She's staying with him now… And firing her weapon, I believe. Though her accuracy could use a little work.'

'What about her stability?' Seras asked. 'You mentioned that some of her bloodline…' She trailed off.

'For the moment, she seems fine,' he thought back. 'Her bond with young Jemeth is strong. Any instability in her is calmed by him. I feel we will have no trouble from her.'

'That's good news,' she replied. 'I was afraid there might be some residual from what happened to Matt…'

'The binds on Jemeth's demon were well made. His determination is his own.' He smirked. 'Though I wonder how he will handle his next challenge.'

* * *

They moved with the human troops from room to room, shooting, or 'silencing' as they put it, ghouls as they were located. Finally, the ground floor was secure. Rebecca looked to Matt. "Where's the vampire?"

He pointed up. "Next floor. I don't sense any ghouls with him. Must be feeling confidant since Alucard's not right here." Matt turned to Harison. "Might want to back off, just in case. I've taken vampires, but in much different circumstances."

"Understood, Jemeth. We'll hold on the street."

Rebecca spoke up. "Should I go with?"

"It's up to you," he replied. "You can go with them, watch me, your choice." He took off his backpack frame, and took a moment to cycle each of his pistols. "But I need to do this now." Drawing one 5-7 and his auto-mag, he started for the stairs.

Rebecca, her Walther in hand, followed.

* * *

Much as Matt was trying for stealth, his position was given away by the creaking of the wood steps. He looked back and forth, aiming his pistols as he turned, checking out the area. It was dark, his enhanced vision helping to fill in the details. There was a narrow hallway before him leading to rooms on either side. The vampire was in the room to the right. He led with his 5-7. This vampire knew he was there, and was obviously feeling prepared.

The door opened as Matt approached. He decided that this wasn't a good thing, but still entered. The vampire was sitting in a red armchair facing him, looking quite comfortable. "I was wondering when you would get here. You took your sweet time on the stairs."

Matt shrugged. "Making this up as I go along." He kept his 5-7 aimed at the vampire as he scanned the room.

"I would assume I cannot talk you into letting me leave."

"That would be correct." He switched off for the auto-mag. "Nothing personal, but these people didn't deserve what you did to them."

The vampire simply smirked and snapped his fingers. From the shadows a number of ghouls appeared. Seemed the vampire had some stealth abilities of his own. This wasn't a weaker bloodline, but certainly not a strong one. Keeping the auto-mag pointed at the vampire, he swung the 5-7 around and opened fire. Its bullets were small; a tad larger then those of an M16. It took several to drop each ghoul. But it was easy to shoot, and with practice he could probably further hone in his accuracy.

But this wasn't the day to practicing. He dropped the 5-7 and snatched up a browning, quickly dropping the remaining ghouls. His attention returned to the vampire. The vampire had pushed off the chair, and was coming straight at him. Matt reacted quickly, pulling the auto-mag's trigger. It launched its 44 magnum anti-vampire round, which buried itself into the vampire's skull. The vampire dissolved into ashes.

Matt paused for a moment, needing to get his breathing back under control. He holstered his pistols, grabbed the 5-7 off the floor, and started back for the door. He again paused, seeing Rho watching him. "So, this is a typical day at Hellsing?"

"Pretty much," he admitted. "I'd call this about average. Now the cleanup team comes through, and we head out."

* * *

After returning to the mansion and dropping off their gear, Rebecca noted that she could use a bit of a distraction. They returned to the cafeteria. As they'd just finished a mission, it was more active then the night before. A number of the troops were relaxing, letting off steam after the fight. Rebecca followed Matt through the line, grabbing a few light snacks, and saw him get waved over by a few of the soldiers. He turned and smiled, jerking his head toward them as a way of setting their course.

Matt set his tray down in one of the spaces the soldiers had opened up. Rebecca took the other. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I trust you are all well?"

"No worse for wear," one of the women said. She looked at Rebecca and gave a smile. "You could've done worse for a partner," she said. "Matt's saved my life more then once."

One of the guys chuckled. "He saved mine first."

Matt chuckled and raised his hands as if trying to hold back a fight. "Please, please, no fighting. You've both pulled my ass out of the fire too." He looked over a Rebecca, then gestured to each of the speaker. "Rebecca, this is Martha Walters and William Tyril. Guys, Rebecca Conway."

"You can call me 'Rho'," she said, extending a hand. They each shook, and she and Matt finally took a seat.

The conversation was just the distraction Rebecca had needed. She learned a bit more about Matt's early time there, and was similar to hers in ways. They and Matt were old friends, comrades in arms. Rebecca found herself wanting that as well. Hellsing had good people, and after that night she knew she wanted to do all she could to help them.

* * *

Matt had walked Rho back to her room, feeling that both of them had had a pretty filled day. As he continued through the stone basement corridors toward his room, he heard a voice in his head; Seras's. 'Alucard told me what happened tonight. I just wanted to let you know, you did a good job.'

He smirked. 'On the mission, or with Rho?' he thought back.

'Both,' she replied. 'Even Alucard had to admit you were helping her stability wise. Well, he felt you lacked finesse in dealing with the vampire, but he did say you were efficient.'

'High praise.'

Seras's voice chuckled in his mind. 'Well, I've heard him say worse. Still, good work. With all that's happening, it's good we have another ally.'

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I SO should have made Rho use the M-60…


	10. Chapter 9

Ok, I hadn't expected the weekend to get quite THAT packed. I'll post a couple more chapters after this one, get somewhat caught up. Course, it's seeming like I won't get a real break until December, but I'll see if I can get started on one of the other stories in a day or two.

Oh, and my sister noted that there's still some typo errors in the earlier fics. Sorry 'bout that. Seems I still missed a few. Next time I'm at her place I'll grab the fixes and shove them on-line.

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Akira Nasori finished inspecting her Springfield XD and started reassembling it when her desk phone rang. She reached over and tapped the speaker phone settings. "Nasori.'

"Call for you, ma'am," came the desk sergeant's voice. "Vid monitor transmission from Hellsing."

The vid monitor was a new development. Essentially a glorified video phone, it used modern webcam technology and LCD monitors to give a much more clear image of the speakers. Akira set down her pistol's slide, flipping up a nearby monitor. "Patch it through," she said, tapping off the speaker phone.

Moments later, a face appeared on the screen. As she's expected, it was the smiling face of Matthew Jemeth. "Heya, Aki. How are you? What's happening?"

Akira smiled back. "The usual, Matt, and I'm fine. How are you?"

"I'm good," he replied. "Life remains interesting."

Over the years, the DPSD and Hellsing had grown strong bonds. They assisted each other in various operations upon request, and frequently exchanged information and technology. Akira had joined after she'd finished college, having been exposed to the organization a few years ago during Matt's 'vacation'. She felt it was a worthy cause to get behind, and thus far she hadn't regretted her decision.

She brushed her black bangs, the only part of her cropped hair that had remained long, away from her brown eyes. She had her father's Asian facial features and her mother's slender but strong body. "Much as I'd like to think this is a social call, I'm guessing it isn't." She continued reassembling her pistol, keeping her attention mostly focused on Matt.

"Sorry, Aki, but your guess is right. We've been getting some pretty creepy intel, and I wanted to make sure you were up to speed."

Akira heard a bit more in his voice, prompting a smile. It was kinda cute. Even after the last few years, he still cared about her. She had to admit it was mutual, but his reasons for their breakup had been valid before, and still were then. "I'm all ears, Matt."

She heard him tapping on a keyboard outside the monitor's view. Their vid monitor channels were always secure on both ends, so there was no need to ask about it. A few pieces of data were displayed on the screen around Matt's face. "Recently, we've been dealing with a new bunch of scumbags. They like using old Global Fang bases as cover for their own construction. They're trying to combine bloodlines and Shalrik's serum into a sort of enhancement cocktail. They also like setting up ghoul traps."

Akira raised an eyebrow. "'Ghoul traps'?"

He nodded. "Yeah. They have a bunch of them buried around, then pop them up when you're in the middle of them. Fun for the whole family."

"Actually," she said, "we're heading out to check on an old Fang base later tonight. Anything in particular we should look for?"

"Well," Matt started, "if they've got a base there, it'll have a hidden door. Once you find it, though, it's damned obvious. Very modern looking construction. Past that, their bases tend to vary in layout and equipment." His face grew an edge of concern. "But in the end, just be careful. It's hard to predict what these guys will do."

Akira gave a reassuring smile. "We will be. Thanks for the information. We're giving the mission brief in a short while, and I'll pass it along to the others."

Matt nodded, looking a little less worried. "Well, I know you guys know your stuff, so I'll let you get to it. Say 'Hi' to Roland for me, ok?"

"You got it. I'll contact you once the mission is complete, let you know what happens." She gave a warm smile. "Until then, Imzadi."

Matt smiled back. "Until then. Good hunting." He reached off screen, and the image faded to black.

Akira got up to make her preparations. Her quarters were decently well adorned. She didn't have all her belongings, but enough to feel comfortable; a few pictures of home, books, iPod attached to a stereo for music. She started changing into her gear. First came a dark green, form fitting jumpsuit. Over that went forest camouflage pants and vest with a large number of pockets, and a wide web belt, finished off with a pair of black Marine hot weather boots. She'd found this getup left her able to maneuver in combat much more easily that in a full uniform, and as she was technically a civilian there wasn't much the higher ups could say about it.

She left her quarters, moving through Diamond Base, DPSD's headquarters. Built almost entirely underground, the base was connected by concrete corridors and tunnels, piping crisscrossing and running along hallways. In ways, it felt like the set of Stargate SG-1. She could've sworn she once heard someone asking directions to the 'Gate Room'.

Akira entered the main briefing room, looking over the gathered room. The room was a large auditorium, able to hold a good few hundred soldiers. They were taking a four squad company that night, so the room was mostly empty, but this auditorium had the base's largest screen; excellent for showing the troops the big picture, then zooming in on what they needed to know the most.

She made her way to the front of the room, giving a smile and nod reply to those who greeted her as she passed. She took her place at the room's podium, set on a raised platform, keeping her eye on the door at the top of the room. The conversations in the room quieted a bit, but did not yet end, as the gathered troops looked to their company commander for her next command.

The door swung open, and Akira paused a brief moment to see who was entering. She put some power behind her voice and bellowed, "Attention on deck!"

For a moment, the room was filled with the sound of nearly fifty men and women snapping to attention. Then there was near silence as a single man walked to the podium. Akira had moved aside, copying the stance of the troops. As he came to a stop at the podium, he said, "Seats."

This man was Roland Mitchell. The African-American was one of the longest serving members of the DPSD. Originally a civilian, he'd been given an army field commission to the rank of Colonel and given command of one of Diamond Base's battalions. He had given the company commander spot to Akira, having seen her capabilities.

The troops sat, Akira moving off the platform. Roland gave the troops a moment to settle, then launched right into it. "We've received reports of a new vampire group trying to root itself in our area. We believe them to be in one of the old Global Fang bases. This will be an armed recon mission. Gather intelligence, and eliminate any opposition." He looked over to Akira. "Nasori?"

Akira returned to the podium. "Thank you, Colonel." She tapped a few controls on the podium, and a map came up on the screen behind her. "We will split into two groups. Each will have two bases to recon." On the screen behind her four dots appeared, two red, two blue. "Blue team will consist of first and second squads. Red team, third and fourth. I'll lead blue team, and Makenzi leads red. Squads split up on entering and keep in regular contact. Standard load out for weapons and transportation. We're not sure what opposition we'll face on this op, but I did get some intel from Hellsing. Whoever these new guys are, they like setting ambushes. Mainly buried ghouls and the like, so I want everyone watching each other's back out there. Everyone's coming back tonight. You hear me?"

The gathered troops yelled their response, "Yes, ma'am!"

"Any questions?"

There were none.

She turned back to Roland. "Colonel?"

Retreating from the stage, Roland returned to the podium. "That's all, people. You know your jobs well. I have complete confidence you will carry out your orders flawlessly. Ms. Nasori, take charge of your company and carry out the mission plan."

"Aye, aye, sir." As Roland started off the platform, Akira again shouted, "Attention on deck!"

As he left the room, she turned to the squad leaders. "Squad leaders, take charge of your squads. Load up, then meet in the Vulture bay." The four squad leaders replied, and she left the bay.

Her company XO, Makenzi, fell into step beside her. "We expecting anything strange on this op, Akira?"

She shook her head. Makenzi had known her the longest at that base. She'd met him years ago when the DPSD had brought her in to try and stop Matt peacefully. Makenzi had been one of her escorts, and in the ensuing firefight she pulled him out of the line of fire. The other, Folen, had later been transferred to another base, but Makenzi volunteered to work with Akira. They were friends and colleagues, nothing more. "As far as I know," she replied, "it's exactly how I told it in there. Still, keep your eyes peeled."

"You got it," he said.

They arrived at the armory soon after. Akira and Makenzi usually grabbed their gear first and waited for the others in the Vulture bay. Akira had learned the concept of "first off the bird, last on the bird" early on. Leading from the front could inspire those she led.

She fished the Springfield XD from her pocket and slipped it into the holster the then attached to her belt. Several magazines of ammunition were attached to other parts of the belt, along with a angled red flashlight. Magazines of 223 ammo filled many of the gaps, and she slung her modified M4 carbine from her shoulder. She'd switched out the carrying handle for a reflex sight and attached a forward handgrip, along with a bright white light to one side of the rifle. She'd found that, occasionally, flashing the light could blind a weaker vampire for a second or two, giving her time to silence it.

Akira and Makenzi weren't waiting long in the Vulture bay. Her troops came in by squads, each moving to one of the four Vultures. Akira joined first squad, and Makenzi joined third. Once the troops were loaded the support personnel evacuated and the bay's light shut down. The ceiling hatch lowered a few feet, then slid aside. Vulture 1 was directly below it. With a surge of power form its four engines, the Vulture lifted from the deck and rose from the base.

Within minutes, all four Vultures were airborne, the bay hatch closing behind them. Each team set course for their first targets, streaking off into the night.

With the Vulture's new quiet supersonic abilities, the flight was short. The Vulture dropped to a scant few feet off the ground, and the powered side door slid open. Akira was on the ground before it was open a quarter of the way. After unloading the troops, the Vultures moved off to find a safe, clear landing zone. They would return when called for.

They already knew the layout of this base; the DPSD had been here years before. Still, they were careful in their explorations. It was typical construction; mostly dirt tunnels with a few closed off areas for research or coffins, dim enough to require night vision goggles. The most excitement they had was checking a few rotting coffins, giving them a solid kick to break them apart while keeping weapons pointed at them.

In the end, they found nothing unusual at this base; no secret compartments or ghoul traps. They called the Vultures back, loaded up, and continued the search.

Akira got in touch with Makenzi, who reported similar findings: nothing. But the troops were well trained; no one would assume what the second target base would bring. The only thing repeated was their touch down.

This old Global Fang base was in southern Illinois, nestled in some of the foothills. Their landing zone was in a small clearing, but a stretch of forest stood between them and the base. It was pretty far from anywhere, and was one of the smaller Fang bases. The two squads would still split up, but they wouldn't be apart for long.

After entry, Akira led her people on their exploration of the base. It was of unique construction; walls of stone and concrete and better equipped labs, decent lighting. Likely, some of the main research into the enhancing serum was done here. But it was well past its prime, all useful equipment removed by the Fangs or the DPSD. At first, it seemed this mission would be one of the, thankfully, boring ones. Then, she heard a voice behind her. "Ma'am! I've got something over here."

That was Petty Officer 2nd Class Hugen. Akira walked over to the woman. "What've you got?"

She reached out to a nearly invisible seam in the wall and pushed. A segment of the wall, approximately door sized, moved inward slightly. Akira gave Hugen a smile. "Good eyes." She looked back to the squad. "Ok, folks, let's get some muscle on this wall."

A couple of her biggest soldiers came up, putting their shoulders into the hidden door. It took a fair amount of force to free, but once it was moving it opened easily. Akira, M4 to her shoulder, led the way. It was a very modern looking facility, constructed from metals and plastics. She flipped her night vision goggles up, the lighting in this area superb.

They carefully explored the new facility, finding it abandoned. It was obvious that various pieces of equipment had been stored there recently, but all had been removed. Still, it confirmed one thing: they had a new problem to deal with.

Akira gathered her squads and started for the extraction point, noting that others should come in to further examine the base for leads. As she slipped the radio back into a pocket, a strange sound caught her attention… It sounded like… shifting dirt. She grabbed her M4. "Contact from below!"

She heard her troops' replies, and the sounds of them readying their weapons. From all around them, a large number of ghouls burst through the floor. "Open fire!" She pulled the trigger, sending a three round burst into the ghouls before her.

The DPSD troops all opened fire, quickly moving to cover each other. Constant reports were shouted; ghouls silenced, need to reload, requests or gratitude for cover. Akira kept up her fire, taking out every ghoul she could aim at.

And as suddenly as it had begun, it ended. Her people survived, no casualties, surrounded by ashes and ghoul pieces. For a moment, all we silent, their weapons aimed outward. Finally, Akira spoke. "Continue for the LZ. Move slowly, keep sharp watch. Move out." She kept her voice calm, knowing any strength she showed would help her people immensely.

There were no other encounters on the way back to the Vultures. As she'd planned, Akira was the last one to board.

* * *

Rebecca stuck her head in the door to the communications room in the Hellsing mansion basement. She saw Matt, or at least the silhouette of his head. He was looking at a monitor, a woman's face on it. She seemed so familiar… Matt spoke. "Your people… they're ok?"

She nodded. "Yes, they're fine." She gave a slight smile. "I am too, by the way."

Matt chuckled. "Of that I had no doubts, Akira." He gave a sigh, leaning back in his chair. "I'm just glad the intel helped you. Any warning is better than none."

Akira nodded again. "Can't argue with you there, Matt. It's a little disconcerting when the bad guys spring up in an unconventional, and at the same time somewhat predictable, way."

"Hey, just because it's a movie cliché doesn't mean it's gonna happen in real life." He checked his watch. "Well, I've gotta go. Sir Integra will want to hear what happened."

A voice came from Akira's side of the transmission. "Ms. Nasori, you're wanted in Colonel Mitchell's office." Rebecca's eyes went wide at hearing Akira's last name. THAT she recognized very well.

She pressed a button off screen. "Understood. I'll be there shortly." Releasing it, she gave Matt another smile. "Seems I'm busy too. Keep in touch, ok? Even if it's not business."

"You got it. Same to you." Matt gave a wave. "Take care, Aki."

"You too, Matt." With that, the screen went dark.

Matt got up and turned to leave, stopping as he saw Rebecca. "Oh. Hey there. Didn't hear you come in."

"Hi…"

Immediately, Matt's face furrowed with concern as he continued toward her. "What's wrong?"

"Who was that?" Rebecca asked, trying to keep her shocked / scared expression from her face.

"Akira Nasori," he replied. "She's a really good friend of mine, and a member of the DPSD; the Department of Paranormal and Supernatural Defense. The United States's anti-vampire forces. Why?"

"I've seen her before… She didn't see me, but I think she would have if she had…"

Matt's hand came to her shoulder. "What do you mean? When did you see her?"

"Right after she and her people killed the old bastard that turned me." Her voice carried with it a certain amount of venom.

"Hey," Matt said, giving her shoulder a light shake, "relax. He's long gone. No need to carry a hate torch for him."

Rebecca drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. "You're right. I'm sorry. I hid in a closet when they attacked, and somehow managed to stay hidden until they left. That's when I ran for it and came here, to England."

"Well, I tend to think that if you'd come out with hands up, you would've been fine. Akira's smart. Thinks before she acts."

Rebecca caught something in his voice and gave a slight smirk. "So, how long did you two date?"

"A good couple years," Matt admitted. "But as I said to Akira, I need to get to Sir Integra's office." His face took that look of concern again for a moment. "You gonna be ok?"

Rebecca nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Walter's gonna meet me at the shooting range, help me in choosing a sidearm. The Walther worked ok, but I'm curious what else is available."

He smiled. "Have fun."

After watching him go, Rebecca made her way to the shooting range. As she entered, she quickly found Walter's kind, smiling face. "Good afternoon, Ms. Conway. I trust you are well?"

"I am, Walter. How are you?"

"I am quite well. Thank you for asking." He gestured toward the range's armory, which held a cross section of the Hellsing arsenal. "So, what would you like to try?"

"I'd like something with a bit more power," she replied. "I don't want to be like Matt and carry half a ton of weapons on my back."

"What of the weapon itself? Other then power, was the Walther acceptable?"

Rebecca considered for a moment. "Yeah, I think it was ok, past that."

"One moment," he replied. "I believe I have something that might suit you."

Walter entered the armory, soon after returning with a pistol. It looked almost identical to the one she'd used before, save for the black frame as opposed to the Walther's olive drab green. "Another Walther?"

"No," Walter replied. "Not exactly. This is Smith & Wesson's P99. While virtually identical to Walther's version, they offer the pistol in 40 caliber." He set a pair of magazines and a box of ammo beside the pistol. "I believe you will find this to your liking."

"Thank you, Walter." She collected the lot and started for an open lane, for a moment wondering when this had become the norm for her… She loaded the magazine with twelve rounds each, their maximum load, and loaded the first into the pistol. Cycling its slide, she took aim at the target near the far wall and fired. Its feel was similar to the Walther, but there was enough difference that she felt more comfortable about her chances. Emptying the magazine, she retracted the target. Her shot pattern was not ideal, but everything had landed on the paper and several shots had hit the mark. She replaced the target and sent it back into place.

She heard the door open, leaning back to see Seras Victoria enter. She held a plastic box in one hand and a box of ammunition in the other. Upon seeing Rebecca, Seras walked over and chose a lane next to hers. "Hello, Rebecca. How are you?"

"I'm doing all right. You?"

"Fine, thank you." Seras opened the box, Rebecca seeing the huge pistol that lay inside. It made her Smith & Wesson look wimpy.

"What is that?" she asked.

"Joshua," Seras replied. As if sensing Rebecca's questions, she continued. "It used to be Alucard's, but when we was given his latest pistol he gave it to me. It's a 454 Casull. I don't use it often, but it is very helpful those times I need it." She loaded six rounds into its magazine and slid it home.

Rebecca loaded her next magazine and aimed her P99. She and Seras opened fire, Rebecca trying not to flinch at the shockwaves emitting from Joshua's muzzle. As each finished, they brought the targets toward them. All six of Seras's shots landed in the target's head or heart. Most of Rebecca's did the same. As each reached for the next magazine, Seras looked over. "So, how did your mission go?"

"I think it went pretty well, actually." She reloaded, reset her target, and aimed. "I'm starting to get used to doing this, and Matt's been a big help."

Seras's target reached the far wall. "I'm glad to hear it."

Rebecca held her aim for a few moments longer, then let the pistol rest on the table. "I'm curious about something. I know about Matt and how we came here, but I don't know about you and Alucard…" She trailed off, not knowing if this was a sensitive subject.

But Seras smiled in response. "Well, I joined Hellsing a few months before Matt. Before then, I'd been a member of D-11; one of the more elite branches of the London police. I'd joined them because of my father, who'd been a cop too, but I was still pretty new. Wasn't as thick skinned as I could have been, but I digress. We were sent to the old Cheddar village. There were a large number of missing persons reports coming in, paired with some strange reports. As it turned out, the priest that had just been assigned there was a vampire in disguise. I didn't know as much as I do now about vampires and ghouls, so I ended up walking right to him. He was about to turn me when Alucard showed up. He silenced the vampire, but had to shoot me to do it. He offered to turn me, and I said yes."

Rebecca, who has released her hold on the pistol and turned her full attention to Seras, asked, "Why?"

"Well, other then the standard not wanting to die, there was something about him that was… different. I couldn't put my finger on it then, and I'm still working to figure it all out today, but there was something about Alucard that made me want to go with him." Seras smiled. "There have been a few rather rocky times, but as a whole I don't regret my decision."

"And what about Alucard?" Rebecca asked. "What's his story?"

"You know," Seras replied, "I've known him for five years and he still hasn't told me much of anything. One of these days I'll try to prod some answers out of him."

Rebecca smiled. "Good luck, then, and happy prodding."

* * *

The meeting with Sir Integra had gone well. It seemed his successes with Rho had given Matt a bit more credibility in Sir Integra's eyes. He could tell that something was in the works, but he couldn't quite yet put his finger on it. Knowing his time might soon be very limited, Matt had changed out and gone for another round of car modifications. The engine parts he'd been waiting for had arrived, so it was time to mount them.

Early on, he'd managed to score a recently rebuilt engine in a crate which would suit his needs. Problem was he'd lacked the parts needed to connect it to the car's intake and exhaust systems. But with the new parts, some time, and a little elbow grease, he had the engine connected and ready to go.

After giving fair warning to the motorpool's operators, a couple of which came to watch, Matt slipped into the car's driver's seat and turned the key. The engine lit on its first try, quietly roaring to life then settling down to a beautiful purr. Matt smiled, giving the dashboard a couple pats. "Welcome back, Jaden."

He was working on installing the front suspension when the call came in.


	11. Chapter 10

Second chapter for the night.

Oh, and I know Rho's thought in the… second line of the chapter is kinda random, but I liked the idea and it got Matt to nearly burst out laughing, so I left it in.

Oh, and grumpywinter, it's not exactly the scene you were asking for, but I think I've got an event here that comes close. I might give it a try in a later story, though, if I see a good way to fit it in.

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Matt, dressed in his mission garb, entered Sir Integra's office. The others were already present. They'd obviously been waiting for him. "My apologies," he said, "I came as soon as I could."

He heard Rho's voice in his mind. 'Thank God you're here, Malfunctioning-Robot-With-An-Attitude-Problem Boy.'

Luckily Sir Integra had already moved on to other people. She missed him suddenly wincing as he kept from laughing. As her eyes landed on Fargason, he launched into his mission brief. "We are closer to locating our new enemy. Based on what we have learned, and what intelligence the DPSD was able to provide, we have selected a pair of possible targets." Information on two vampires appeared on the screen. Matt wasn't sure, but these two looked a little on the greasy side.

Alucard spoke up. "I know of these two. They entered into agreements with the British government, but they are simply buying time until they can strength their own positions. They're of the same bloodline, one thick with treachery."

Walter spoke next, "More importantly, traces of their recent business transactions proves they are planning to violate the treaty."

Sir Integra replied, an edge of venom in her voice, "Meaning they are swine and will be dealt with as such." Her voice returned to its normal cool. "Fargason, please continue."

"Yes, Sir Integra." The screen changed to a London road map. "Victoria and Alucard will watch target A." He aimed a laser pointer to a spot on the map. Moving it to another quadrant of the city, he said, "Jemeth and Conway will watch target B." The red dot vanished. "If the targets are silenced, do nothing to draw attention to yourselves. Follow the hostiles and attempt to locate their base. Remain in contact with headquarters for further instructions. You should try to remain incognito as much as possible. Any questions?"

Matt raised a hand for a moment, Fargason quickly acknowledging him. "One, sir. How long do we have before we're on station?"

"No more then three hours. Why?"

"Wanted to know if I had time to complete work on the car. I don't."

"Understood. If there's nothing further…" Fargason paused briefly, then turned to Sir Integra.

"Mission approved. May God and Her Majesty go with you."

* * *

Matt loaded the rest of his gear into the trunk of the sedan he and Rho would be using for the mission. As Rho came up beside him to store Spitfire, he looked over at her. "So, a Whose Line is it Anyway? fan, eh?"

She looked sheepish for a moment, probably understanding how close she'd brought him to laughing. "Yeah… Sorry about that. I just needed to relax for a moment, and letting my mind wander a bit usually helps."

"Oh, it's ok. Just unexpected, is all." Checking that all their gear was stowed, he shut the trunk. He'd switched jackets to something akin to his original style, with a jean vest and cloth sleeves. His leather jacket lay within the trunk. Rho, on the other hand, had added a brown cloth jacket to her ensemble, covering the Hellsing shields. "Besides," Matt continued, "I'm easily amused, so it doesn't always take that much to get me to crack up."

Rho smiled, probably happy that all was well. After a moment, her expression became serious again. "Matt, I'm curious about something. What if these guys are strong enough to detect us? How will dressing differently fool them?"

"Well, you're right that dressing differently will not, on its own, give us cover. But, in combination with some of our other abilities, it'll complete the illusion." He leaned against the car, looking at her. "Have you ever, since being turned, really wanted people to not see you, and did they leave you alone?"

Rho replied almost immediately. "Yeah, I have. Once right before I left the States. The DPSD came and killed… my former master. When Nasori was looking right at the closet I was hiding in, I started praying she would decide the house was clear and leave me be. She did."

Matt smiled and nodded. "That's something akin to what we're doing tonight. We're going to be stealthy; mask whatever signature we're putting out as vampires and broadcast ourselves as human. That, and we won't draw close scrutiny to ourselves. 'A guy and a gal sitting in a car for a while? Nah, that can't be trouble.'"

He saw a faint smile from Rho. "I think I see what you mean. Thanks."

"Any time." He gestured to the passenger door. "Shall we?"

* * *

Seras found it a little difficult to keep the smile off her face. As they weren't supposed to draw attention to themselves, Alucard couldn't just teleport nearby and watch the target. He had to go with her in the car, and while Seras hadn't asked the fact that he'd gotten into the passenger side unprompted confirmed her suspicions: Alucard didn't have a driver's license.

On the one hand, he was doing a good job playing cool. He'd leaned back in his seat, tipping his hat over his eyes, and pretended to rest. But in the bond they shared, she could tell he didn't like the fact that he wasn't in control. More then once, she'd considered shaking the car just to see if she could get a rise out of him, but the way he fixed her in a one eyes stare each time she thought about it persuaded her otherwise.

As Alucard was much stronger with stealth, they'd been able to go in their usual attire. She figured he just didn't want to take off his trench coat. Not that she could argue; she was still using the modified police uniform she'd brought over from D-11. Night had fallen en route, and the streets were dark when Seras finally brought the car to a stop in one of the residential parts of London. They sat near an unassuming flat, close enough to see but far enough to not be seen. She felt Alucard push his influence out, giving them cover from prying eyes, all the while still lying back in his seat.

Seras kept her eyes on the flat, preparing herself for a boring time; stakeouts were rarely action packed. After a few hours of sitting, she has a figure approach the flat. "Movement." Alucard sat up, keeping close watch as well. The figure was joined by a second, and both slipped into the flat. It wasn't long before they felt some kind of psychic pressure wave pass by them, a chill shooting down Seras's spine. "I think that was them," she said.

"I would agree," Alucard replied.

A few minutes later, the figures departed the flat, moving toward a nearby car. Seras reached to the dashboard, her hand poised over the key. She waited until they'd entered their car, started it up, and started moving away before she fired up the engine and followed, headlights off.

Seemed this stakeout was about to get interesting.

* * *

"Ok. Now you try."

Rebecca tried to focus her mind, tried to copy what Matt had done after getting the car parked. It was strange. On the one hand, she really didn't know what she was doing. On the other, it seemed completely natural. She simply thought about the desire to remain hidden, and moments later Matt smiled at her. "Perfect," he said. "You'll be beating me in no time."

His eyes drifted back to the nearby house. It was a smaller place a short distance outside London. Matt had put the car a ways into the woods. The house lights gave them excellent visibility, and the trees gave them good cover. They'd been there for a while, managing to pass the time through a combination of conversation and training. They spoke on college, plans they'd made. Rebecca asked if any of her old plans might still be feasible. Matt wasn't sure, but he wasn't going to count them out yet.

During this, another car pulled up. The conversation ended while they watched a pair of figures approached the house and slip inside. A few minutes later, Matt felt that same psychic wave as before. Rebecca felt it faintly. Shortly thereafter, the figures returned to their car and started off into the night. Matt was already ready to roll.

They stuck to back roads, moving further away from London. They reached the tree line, the land beyond a series of hills and clumps of trees. There was no moon, for which Matt said he was thankful. Made it easier to follow without being spotted.

The targets turned off onto dirt roads inside one of the tree clusters. Matt didn't follow. Rebecca turned to ask what was going on, but he was already explaining. "I can feel where they're going. I figure we stash the car and go in on foot."

Once the car was hidden and their gear collected, including a backpack for Rebecca with some mission specific gear, they moved silently through the woods to the edge of a clearing. There were a few small buildings clustered within, but nothing else that Rebecca could tell. Matt led them around the edge, soon approaching another pair of figures in the darkness. He spoke up, silently. "Well, fancy meeting you here."

"Likewise," Seras Victoria replied. "Seems to be mostly underground," she continued, "though it's not based on any Global Fang base I know of."

"Gotta say, they seem pretty well organized. Surprising, considering how well they've stayed hidden."

"They're not hidden anymore," Alucard said.

Seras held a small radio to her mouth. "Sherwood, this is Maid Marian. We're poised outside of the castle. Awaiting instruction."

After a few moments, Walter's voice replied. "Message received. Unable to gather merry men. Conduct recon of castle. If deemed acceptable risk, green light to engage."

"Understood. Marian out." Seras lowered the radio.

Alucard chuckled. "As if I'd let risk stop me." Seras smirked, loading her pistols.

Matt loaded Matilda, turning to Rebecca. "You can stay here, if you'd like. Keep the door open for us."

Rebecca pulled one of her pistols, checked that she had a round chambered, and pulled Spitfire off her shoulder. "I'm coming with you," she said.

Matt nodded. "Okay. You're with me."

"We will split into two teams," Alucard said. "Myself and Seras will enter through there." He pointed to one of buildings. "You two enter there." He gestured to another. "No verbal communication from this point forward."

Rebecca's eyebrows furrowed. "Then how do we…?"

Matt replied immediately. "Have you ever spoken to yourself? Thought in complete sentences?" She nodded. "It's kinda like that, paired with what we were working on before."

She paused for a moment, trying to figure out the combination. 'Like this?' she thought.

Matt smiled. 'Exactly like that,' his voice came into her mind. He turned to the others. 'Let's do it,' he thought to them.

The two pairs started out into the clearing, moving to the far sides. It was dark, Rebecca only being able to tell what was out there from her newly enhanced vision. She remained a short distance beside and behind Matt, letting him lead the way to the cluster of buildings. 'Nothing up top,' his voice came. 'Bunch of stuff underground, though.'

'How can you tell?' she asked.

He tapped the side of his head. 'Practice. Give it time. You'll get it too.' Matt grabbed a nearby door handle, twisted, and pushed it open. It was a single vacant room with a ladder at its center. Matt swung Matilda back into its clips on his back. He led the way down the ladder a good couple floors worth of distance. It seemed to be some sort of emergency escape.

The chamber was large enough for both Matt and Rebecca to stand with a little room to spare. Matt studied the room's single door. 'Hmm…'

'What?'

'It's not locked.' He paused, his head turned to the side and eyes closed. 'And I don't sense anything nearby.'

'Is that not normal?'

He shook his head. 'Not really, no.' Drawing one of his brownings, he slowly opened the door and peered into the hallway. 'Looks clear.' Matt started in, Rebecca backing him up.

It was a nice, modern looking base. Metals and plastics made up the hallway, with slightly red tinted florescent lighting and cool temperatures. 'This has got to be one of their main bases,' Matt thought. 'Normally it's an alcove built into something else. They've been big on attaching them to old Global Fang bases.'

'I guess everyone needs a headquarters.'

Suddenly, a small round portal opened in the hallway ceiling, a short ways past the intersection they'd just passed. A device, like a ball on a stick, dropped down and lit up. Matt shoved Rebecca aside, back into the cover of another hallway. The device started flashing red, a pair of turreted guns dropping beside it. They aimed at Matt and opened fire. He dodged the first volley, moving for cover of his own, but the next volley landed a couple hits. He quickly pulled a pair of tranquilizer darts from his thigh, but they'd slowed him. The next volley hit home, and Matt slowly slumped against a wall and slid to the floor.

* * *

Seras leaned far enough to get a single eye down the hallway, watching the strange device shoot back into the ceiling. Luckily, Alucard had seen the round hatch before it opened, giving them time to get clear.

They'd found what seemed to be a sort of supply entrance. Larger door for vehicle access, and all that. It was secured, but Alucard was able to get them around it without alerting anyone. They'd both been a bit surprised by the base; it was newer then they'd expected. Thus far, though, the feelings they'd gotten of many vampires and ghouls seemed unwarranted. They'd hadn't seen so much as a standard patrol the entire time.

She looked over to make sure Alucard was ok… then realized she couldn't feel Matt anymore. 'Matt? Rebecca? Are you two all right?'

Rebecca voice, faint, came back. 'Matt got hit,' she replied. 'He's unconscious. I had to hide where we came in. Guards came before I could get to him.'

'Have they moved him yet?' Seras asked.

'Not yet, but they will soon.'

She looked to Alucard for a moment, who nodded in reply. 'When they do, follow them. Keep an eye on Matt. We're on our way, and will rendezvous as soon as possible.'

* * *

'Thanks,' Rebecca thought back, keeping one eye out the door to watch the guards. It was good to know that help was coming.

"Wrong jacket," she heard one guard say, "but he's definitely Hellsing." The first guard, a larger guy with a linebacker build, chuckled. "I guess leaving the door open was a good idea."

The second, a lankier guy, shrugged. "Well, let's see what we can get from him. Grab him."

The first guard lifted Matt like he was a doll and slung him over his shoulder. They started down the hallway, Rebecca following carefully. She made sure she was close to cover at all times, as the scanners seemed to make a sweep randomly. The guards made one stop, to strip Matt of his weapons. Rebecca noted the room, and continued following.

They finally stopped at a lab, setting Matt onto one of the tables and leaving him there. He was unbound, but still unconscious and the room had several other occupants she could see.

Rebecca had started working up her brilliant rescue plan when Seras and Alucard arrived. Well, not exactly right beside her. They were at the lab's far door. She explained things as best as she could, and they gave her information on what they sensed in the room. Rebecca had to admit, that was an ability she wouldn't mind having sooner rather then later.

'Now! Move in now!' Seras's voice bellowed in her mind.

Rebecca charged from her cover, throwing the door open and charging in. Seras and Alucard were entering from the far side. Matt was still on the table, but there was some sort of device about to be snapped to his wrist. She could see a large needle about to hit a vein or artery. Hence the quick entry, she assumed.

One of the vampires in the lab quickly grabbed a weapon and took aim. Rebecca fired first, sending a three round burst into his chest. His heart was hit, and he fell to ash. Another had taken aim at Seras as she entered. Seras was heading straight for Matt, but Alucard had her covered. He blew her attacker's head off with a single shot from his large black pistol.

The third lab worker tried to make a run for it, but Alucard fired a follow up shot from Titan and blasted her leg in half. She fell to the floor, Alucard quickly catching up and pinning her in place. Seras checked Matt, making sure he was still in one piece, then revived him… with a solid slap to his face. His eyes fluttered open and he rubbed his cheek. "Ow…" he muttered, slowing getting back to his feet. "Thanks, guys," he said, following with, "that was new…" under his breath.

Their attention was quickly turned on the survivor. She was still struggling to get free, but the gun pointed at her face kept her quiet. Suddenly, Alucard hauled her to her feet, then looked at Rebecca. "Seras, Jemeth, secure the doors." He waited for them to respond and start moving. "Conway, look into her eyes and open your mind. See if you can learn anything from her." She looked at him for a moment, a bit confused. "Your mind will understand your intent."

Rebecca did as he instructed, looking into the vampress's eyes. She resisted, but Alucard's strong grip and pistol pressed against her convinced her to cooperate. For what felt like a long moment they simply stood with eyes locked. Then, suddenly, a flood of information poured into Rebecca's mind, almost as quickly stored away, and the vampress burst into violet flame and dissolved to ash. Rebecca's eyes, full of confusion, shot over to Alucard as he lowered his pistol. "Self-destruct," he said, answering her silent question, "placed there by her masters to keep their secrets hidden."

"You knew?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yes. This happened when I attempted to gather information from another of this organization. I felt you stood a better chance of gaining information before we lost our informant."

Anger flashed in her eyes for a brief moment before she turned away to join Matt as he returned from the door. He'd heard the exchange, and set a hand on her shoulder as she approached. "Not the first time I'd heard that possibility, actually. Wish I'd had a chance to warn you, though." He looked concerned.

Rebecca sighed, shaking her head. "I'll be fine, Matt. Just need to sort through all the stuff that came into my head."

Suddenly, sparks flew from the door Seras had sealed. Moments later, additional sparks came from Matt's door. In a flash, Matt had Matilda in his arms and aimed. Rebecca drew Spitfire and followed suit. "There is still one room we must visit before we leave," Alucard said.

"Right," Seras replied. "Find their main computers and pull the hard drives, see what we can find from them."

"Probably not much," Matt added. "They know we're here. Probably wiped 'em before they started this attack."

"We will still try, Jemeth," Alucard said.

"Well… of course we will." Matt gave Alucard a quick glance over his shoulder. "We're the good guys. That means we don't give up."

Alucard gave an amused smirk, but said nothing.

The doors burst open in near unison. Matt's attention was back to his weapon in an instant, taking aim at the first ghoul he saw; the plasma torch wielding vampire having already fallen back behind the wall of ghouls. Rebecca added her rifle's fully automatic voice, and heard weapons fire behind her as Alucard and Seras used their pistols to hold back the ghouls. There was something different about these ghouls. Rebecca couldn't put her finger on it, but made a mental note to ask Matt about it later.

She heard Alucard's voice in her mind. 'Make your way into the corridor. We will meet you at the target location.'

'Understood,' Matt replied, taking a moment to reload Matilda. 'Back me up, Rho.'

'Got it!' Matt swung around the corner, immediately firing silver shot rounds. They were highly effective at close range, blasting many of the ghouls before him. Rebecca swung out to the other side, mowing down the few ghouls before her. Matt led the way down the corridor, continuing to blast the ghouls in their path as Rebecca kept his back clear.

'Reloading!'

Matt ducked down, the magazine dropping from Matilda. Rebecca swung around, her part of the corridor clear, and let out another burst of fire. She pushed them back, but didn't knock them all down. Still kneeling, Matt brought Matilda back to his shoulder and fired. The round hit and detonated, blowing many of the ghouls apart. Several rounds later, they were clear. Rebecca looked at him. She hadn't known he had those. He shrugged. "Sometimes you need something that goes 'boom'."

They arrived at the control center a few moments later. Seras and Alucard were already there, pulling hard drives. "They were expecting us," Alucard said. "The ghouls they sent against us were old, nearing the end of their use."

"How old?" Matt asked, heading to another bank of computer and starting to pull them apart.

"Within two weeks they were have fallen to pieces on their own."

They quickly grabbed all they could and ran for the door. They encountered no resistance. Rebecca wondered why they didn't explore further, but decided she could ask later. She discovered the answer on her own after they had exited the base and returned to the tree line. The ground rumbled. She looked back to see the ground in the clearing rise up, inches in some places and feet in others, then collapse into a shallow crater. They had destroyed their own base, probably hoping to take out the Hellsing encroachers.

They'd obviously expected to succeed, or just decided to add insult to injury. They returned to their hidden cars to find them both destroyed. Seras radioed headquarters for a pickup, and translated the coded answer as them sending a Vulture.

Whatever this information was, what they had on the hard drives and what Rebecca had in her head, they needed to go over it immediately.


	12. Chapter 11

And here's three. I should be able to get back to my morning and evening posts now, for at least the next couple days. I don't wanna just post the whole thing now. It'd spoil the suspense!

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They'd been given some down time while Walter and their intel division went over all the data. Rho was needed for a while as Alucard helped her retrieve everything she'd gathered, but from what she'd told Matt her plan was to go draft her e-mail home. Matt would give it a glance; make sure she wasn't giving away too much.

Once the call came in to assemble, Matt got back into his mission garb and started for Sir Integra's office. He met Seras en route. "Hello, Matt," she greeted. "Have fun with Halo?"

"Not as much as usual," he admitted. "No sign of Nekky. I left a message, then went and pwnned some noobs."

She smirked and chuckled. "Well, so long as you have a clear head for the mission, 'pwn' away." Seras had never been much of a gamer, but she'd learned some of the terminology from Matt over the last couple years.

They arrived in Sir Integra's office. The usual crowd was present, but this time Fargason had set up a laptop computer and projector rather than his usual simple flip chart. Matt caught Rho's eye for a moment, and she gave a welcoming smile. He'd picked up her emotions during the 'download', and it hadn't been all that pleasant for her, but she was holding up okay. Alucard looked dark and mysterious as usual.

Sir Integra was all business. She waited for Seras and Matt to get to their usual places, then turned to Fargason. Fargason turned to Alucard. "I believe you should start, Alucard."

Alucard smirked, giving an amused 'hmm'. No doubt he had been waiting for a seemingly random point to butt in with whatever he had to say. Still, he did not protest. "Conway gathered our first good information on who this filth is. Perhaps she should explain?" He looked over to Rho.

Rho looked surprised for a moment. She hadn't ever spoken in one of their meetings before, but before Matt could send her any silent encouragement she launched right into it. "Whoever they are, they really don't have a name for their group, they've been around for a long time. Years, certainly. There's no identification code, no secret handshake, nothing. Just a sort of mental imprint you get when you join. I know where to look for it now, so Alucard figures I could track them without setting off their self-destruct again." She still wasn't happy about what happened, as Matt could tell through their bond, but she was letting it go for the time being.

Walter joined in. "From what we gathered from the recovered hard drives, this organization is attempting to improve weaker bloodlines. As we know, the weaker bloodlines have greater weaknesses and less control than that of stronger bloodlines. They gather and test stronger vampire blood in an attempt to increase their own abilities. They've made good progress, if what we have learned can be believed."

"And what of the Shalrik serum?" Sir Integra asked. "I would assume that these vampires were behind the attack."

"Correct, Sir Integra." Walter tapped a few keystrokes into the computer. The connected projector started flashing a number of chemical compounds onto the screen. "While the serum was not vital to their efforts, it did give them a delivery system. By augmenting the serum with their own researched chemicals, they can increase its effectiveness in weaker vampires."

"Why haven't we heard of these vampires before?" Seras asked. "For this kind of work they would need very modern medical equipment."

"I am not yet certain," Walter replied. "I would assume they worked through front organizations, and limited the spread of their equipment. Most of their bases were set up for analysis only, requiring much more basic equipment. Last night's target was one of their higher level bases. Likely they destroyed it to prevent us learning what, exactly, they are using."

"In hindsight, it did look like they were just trying to delay us long enough for the base to collapse around us," Matt said. "Those HE shells for Matilda did the trick on our end. Thanks, Walter."

"You are quite welcome, Mr. Jemeth." He typed a few more keystrokes. "We do believe we know the next link in their chain, however." The screen switched to a map of France, showing a location in the southeast quadrant of the country. "This base appears to be a regional cluster point. Information passed would eventually gather here before being sent to an even larger base."

Fargason spoke next. "Given the situation, I would advise that Alucard, Victoria, Jemeth, and Conway are sent via Vulture. They will recon the base and gather any possible information. It is highly probable they know of the local base's destruction, so they may be preparing to move this regional base before we can get there. Our human troops will remain on standby for the time being, in case of counter attack or if we locate another local base."

"Agreed," Sir Integra replied. "May God and her Majesty be with you."

* * *

Rebecca held Spitfire out to Matt, who grabbed the rifle and secured it in one of the Vulture's storage lockers. "Are you all right?" she asked him.

His head snapped up as if from a trance. "Huh?"

She lightly tapped the side of her head. "With all the telepathy stuff I've been doing recently, I'm starting to pick up more things around me. And what I'm feeling from you doesn't seem all too happy."

"Oh," he replied. He didn't answer for a moment, simply taking Matilda from her when she held it up and stowing it next to Spitfire. "Thinking about the mission," he finally replied. "Sometimes things go as planned, and sometimes that isn't a good thing." He shook his head. "But, nothing to worry about right yet. With the four of us going, there isn't much we can't handle." He held a hand out to Rebecca, which she took, and hauled her on board.

Seras and Alucard joined them shortly afterward. Matt asked why the elder vampire wasn't 'flying in separately'. He didn't answer, but Seras did. "I reminded him that if we're standing around waiting for you two to arrive it might tip the bad guys off to our imminent attack." Matt simply nodded and fell into the seat beside Rebecca.

The flight, at least, was uneventful. They zipped across the English Channel and over France undetected. Once at the target area, the Vulture started its quiet hover while the four Hellsing vampires jumped out. The pilot lifted off again and started away, headed for a safer landing zone to wait for their signal.

They started through the woods, climbing over a hill to look down on a clear valley. What appeared to be a farm stood below them, near a river winding off into the distance. Rebecca could see a two story house, a tractor shed, a large barn, and a windmill off to the side. But appearances were deceiving. "Oh yeah," Matt said, dropping to a crouch, "this is the place." He looked over at Seras, crouching beside him. "You want the house, or the barn?"

"Barn," she replied. "I think there's something underneath it. You two start with the house, then join us. Ok?"

Matt nodded. "Sounds find by me." He looked back at her. "Rho?"

"Sure," she replied with a nod of her own.

"Let's hit it." Matt pushed off and started moving quietly but quickly down the hill, pulling his FS2000 rifle off its mount. Rebecca followed, Spitfire in hand. It was a cozy looking wood house, complete with raised covered porch. There was a dirt road running around the compound and off into the hills. She saw no lights on inside, and could sense no movement. Matt didn't seem to sense anything odd either, moving up to the cream colored house, up the few wood steps, and up to a brown wood door. He switched to Matilda, loading the high explosive slug magazine, and slowly opened the door.

Matt swung right, Rebecca swinging Spitfire to the left. Both had clear sights. They worked together to check every room on both floors of the house. While there were many rooms to check, nothing held anything out of the ordinary; just the standard furniture, clothes, drapes at windows, and so on. Matt spotted a door leading to the basement, leading the way down the stairs.

It was dark. Very dark. Rebecca's vision wasn't enhanced enough to let her see much, but Matt could see what was around them and gave her the scoop as she waited by the stairs and tried to look somewhat menacing. There wasn't much down there; some tools, storage crates with various contents. Rebecca steadily got used to the area, and found her vision being drawn to a particular spot of the wall. 'Matt,' she thought to him, 'look over there.'

After a moment, she heard his reply in her head. 'What?'

'Some sort of symbol. It's really faint, but I can see it. Can't you?'

Another pause. 'No… But I see where you're pointing to. Let me check it out.'

The more Rebecca stared at it, the more defined it appeared. It even went dark as Matt walked in front of it. 'Rho, I've got my hand on the wall here, and I don't feel anything strange.'

'Here,' she replied, 'let me try.' Carefully, she walked over to him. First setting a hand on his shoulder, he moved aside giving her access to the wall. She set her hand on the symbol, and felt something probe her mind for a moment. It withdrew almost immediately after it entered, and a piece of the wall suddenly slid inward, then sideways. A new light, dim but brilliant after having stood in the dark for so long, illuminated the room. Inside was another modern looking corridor leading to a stairwell. 'Well,' Rebecca thought, 'this looks promising.'

Matt again took point as they started down the first stairwell and moved through the base. Both kept an eye to the ceiling, checking for any of those strange scanners from before. They saw a round hatch moments before it opened, the scanner ball dropping. Matt didn't give it a change, taking aim with Matilda and firing an HE round. The scanner was blown from its mount, but no audible alarms were triggered. 'Hmm… Something's not right here…' Looking around the next corner, they see several other scanners have already been taken out… by being cut down.

They continued into the base, weapons aimed ahead and behind, ready for an attack that never came. The rooms they checked suggested this was something of an administration section. According to a map, there were labs below this section. Under the barn was what appeared to be a maintenance / construction facility, with a couple tunnels connecting the two wings of the base. 'A way to meet up with the others,' Mat had noted.

They rounded a corner, heading to the next stairwell, when Matt suddenly halted. There were many small piles ashes, some of them with body parts in them. 'Well,' Matt thought to her, 'someone's been busy.' His voice grew louder as he added Seras into the mix. 'Hey, Seras! Heads up, someone else is working this base, and I think I know who…'

'We know,' Seras replied. 'And you're probably right. We saw a bunch of holy papers speared to the walls down here.'

'Aw hell… Acknowledged, Seras. We found a tunnel that'll get us over to you. We'll meet up after we check out this wing.'

Rebecca had had enough with the telepathy. "What is it?" she asked aloud.

"Trouble," he said. "There's another anti-vampire group out there, the Iscariot Organization; the Vatican's special Section 13. Their head dude, Anderson, doesn't really like us, and those speared holy papers are a trademark of his. They mess with our abilities, and can give you a killer headache."

"Oh… I take it this wasn't in the plan?"

Matt shook his head. "Not in the main one, no." He glanced over at her. "For the record, that's why I carry the swords." Looking back down the corridor, he said. "Regardless, we've gotta keep moving. We'll be ok."

Rebecca wasn't sure if that last part was for her, or for him.

They continued down the hall past the various piles of ash. They moved through several connecting corridors en route to the next stairwell when they heard it, the clash of metal against metal. Matt held out an arm, holding Rebecca back. She could see his jaw clench tight, his jaw like steel.

He was protecting her… Whatever he expected to see around the next corner, he didn't want her to be hurt… She figured she could take care of herself, but… she liked that.

Matt swung around the corner, turning left and aiming Matilda down the hall. Rebecca swung around as well, but using the corner itself as cover and training Spitfire down the hall. Two fought, one wearing a brown priest robe and wielding a twin bladed sword, gleaming white light. The other wore black, holding a long sword and parrying dagger. He matched the priest move for move, for a short while. The priest parried the other's thrust and leaned into his counter, spinning the white blade on his back and slicing the other clean in two. The pieces fell to the ground as ash.

The priest turned to Matt, his sword at the ready, but Matt turned Matilda to the ceiling and held out a hand. The sword immediately fell to the priest's side. "Truce?" Matt asked.

"Truce," the priest replied with a now familiar British accent. "So, you've found one of their labs too, I take it."

Matt nodded, obviously relaxed. He held Matilda before him, pointed towards the floor. "Yeah, and it pointed both of us here. I'd say our common enemy is becoming more of a pain in our backsides, wouldn't you, Brian?"

Brian chuckled. "Indeed. I'm still working my way down to the labs to see what I can find here."

"Same here… I would assume Anderson's checking the maintenance wing?"

Brian nodded. "Yes."

Matt was silent for a moment. Rebecca heard his thoughts as he sent warning to Seras and Alucard… then turned his head away abruptly. "Yep…"

Before Matt could speak further, Brian said, "Matt, I got a good look at the maintenance wing before I came over here. I'm certain that if there's anything of value it will be found here, likely on the next level down. Come with me, then…"

"Then what?" Matt asked.

"We go our separate ways. Where you go is your own business. But if we work together, we'll both get the information faster then if we worked alone."

Matt paused a moment to consider. "Sounds fine by me, Brian." He turned to Rebecca, giving a smile. "By the way, this is Rebecca Conway. Rebecca, Brian Malcolm. Sorry I didn't introduce you two earlier. I was a tad preoccupied."

Rebecca finally stepped out from behind the corner, giving a nod of greeting. "Yes," Brian said, "I've heard much about you, Rebecca. Not all of it to be believed, of course."

"Depends on what you've heard," Rebecca replied.

"Well, perhaps you can cut through the rumors and give me some truth? As we move, of course."

* * *

The attack came fast and hard.

Seras and Alucard had entered the large, mostly empty barn. They quickly located the hidden entrance to the lower levels. It was almost like entering an underground factory. Obviously set up for vehicle construction and maintenance, it had multiple levels of catwalks, machinery, and floor space for various work. It was all metal, and all a little rusty. Harsh yellow spotlights gave this place none of the modern sheen of the corridors in the lab.

They'd made their way down several levels when they first spotted the holy papers. Seras let out several bursts from her Glocks, shredding the papers and allowing them to get the first communiqué from Matt. It wasn't long after that, suddenly, Anderson burst from the shadows and went straight at Alucard.

'Guys,' Matt's voice came into Seras's head, 'keep a sharp watch. I've got confirmation that Anderson's somewhere in your area.'

'We know,' Seras replied, watching as Alucard deftly evaded Anderson's swords and pumped several rounds into the Paladin. 'He's fighting Alucard now, though thanks for the effort.' She could tell he wasn't happy, but she would have to talk with him later. Anderson was obviously improved since the last fight. He was faster, and able to strike more quickly. Alucard would have to be more nimble then usual, but Seras knew he was more then up to the task.

In fact, as she could tell from their bond, he was loving it.

Seras tried to help where she could, taking potshots at Anderson with Joshua, but Alucard told her to stay back. He suggested she deal with the ghouls. She'd been about to ask which ghouls he meant when the answer became blindingly apparent. Several wall panels detached, dropping to the floor like boarding ramps and releasing dozens of ghouls into the immediate area. Seras immediately switched back to her Glocks and opened fire.

In the few moments she could steal glances over at Alucard, she saw something she would never have believed unless she'd seen it. Alucard and Anderson were fighting against the ghouls back to back, joined for a moment against the more immediate threat. For a brief moment, she remembered the battle against Shalrik years before when she actually had to trust her back to that man… If it hadn't been for Matt trusting Anderson, which Seras figured was only because he didn't know him yet, Seras would never have accepted his help.

Too bad she had to admit it likely made the battle for them…

As quickly as it had started, the ghoul battle ended. There was a pause as Alucard and Anderson both scanned for targets, then in unison spun about and continued their battle right where they'd left off. Alucard had picked up a few new blade wounds, and had a couple other blades still sticking through him. Anderson gave off an occasional flash of silver light as a wound was regenerated. As a whole, it seemed the battle was stalemated as they moved from one workspace to another.

Matt's voice returned. 'Hey, Seras, while I was in the admin section I found something in your wing we might want to look at. I'm already there, a level above you. Care to join me?'

'Just a sec, Matt.' She could see that Alucard had already heard them. He had both pistols drawn and had just loaded fresh magazines. Rather then just continue his evasive dance, he whipped up both guns and fired every bullet he had. They turned the upper part of Anderson's skull into Swiss cheese. Anderson fell to the ground with an unceremonious thump.

Alucard started walking toward her, reloading his weapons and starting to hide them within his trench coat. "I may need to ask Walter for an even larger gun," he said. "I'm not sure how long these will be sufficient."

The answer came as a blade passing between the pair of them to stab into the nearby wall. Without hesitation, Alucard had his pistols back out and turned to reengage Anderson. 'Matt, we're gonna be a bit longer,' Seras thought in his general direction. 'Seems Anderson's got some new tricks up his sleeve.' For a brief moment, the old scar on her neck bothered her. She scratched at it for a brief moment, then ignored it.

'Uhh… Hang on. I think I see something that'll help you guys out.' Matt was silent for a moment, but she could feel him moving across the room he was in. 'Ok. I need Alucard to move Anderson about fifteen feet to his right.'

Seras watched. 'He heard you. He's already on his way.'

'Good.' Seras ran to different position to watch what happened. Moments after she was in place, she saw two streams of sparks drop from the metal ceiling. They formed a rough rectangle, bracketing something on the next level up, but the cut was incomplete. Two sides of the rectangle weren't cut. As the cutting seized, Anderson and Alucard's fight took them below it. 'Alucard, move away on three.' The cutting resumed, more sparks dropping to the floor. Anderson's attention was purely on Alucard. He never noticed them, bright as they were.

'One… two… three!' Alucard took a step back as the cut was completed. The rectangular piece of metal dropped. Atop the metal was a large piece of construction equipment, possibly for forging metal into plates or other components. Anderson never had a chance to react. The plate and equipment dropped on him like so many tons of bricks, breaking through the next two levels and disappearing into the darkness.

From above them they heard, "Well, that outta slow him down."

Seras looked up to see Matt and Rebecca looking over the side of the hole they'd cut, each one holding a plasma cutter. Matt was looking down into the hole, but Rebecca's eyes were locked on Matt. He finally looked up at her. "I'll explain later." Looking back down, he noticed Alucard looking up at him. "Yeah," he said, "I know. You could've taken him, but we're a bit pressed for time. Come on up." First Matt then Rebecca disappeared from the hole.

Seras and Alucard rejoined them shortly. Matt had found the base's main server. "I wouldn't have guessed they'd put it here," he said. "Admin, maybe. Even the labs. But here?"

"Probably because no one would have guessed it," Seras commented.

They were about to rip out the hard drives when activity suddenly increased. "They're trying for a remote download and delete," Matt said.

"Don't interfere," Seras replied. "Let me see if I can run a trace." Seras had been learning some tricks from the techs for a few years by then. A trace would be easy. "If this works," she continued as she worked, "we'll know where the next big place is, and they won't know we're coming."

"Though they're still covering their tracks," Rebecca suddenly said. "I can feel something… A self destruct for the base."

"Can you shut it down?" Matt asked.

"No," she replied. "The stuff I got from that vamp gave me what I needed to find the door and pick up on a few things, but nothing that lets me take direct control of any systems."

"That's all right," Seras said, standing from the computer. "I'm done. I've got the coordinates to the base. It's out in Ukraine." Backing away from the terminal, she continued, "If we're lucky, they'll figure we didn't get anything since their data isn't corrupted, but we should get this information back to Walter regardless. They'll need to figure out a plan for attack."

Rebecca nodded. "The sooner the better. I figure there won't be much delay between them finishing the download and blowing the base."

"Lead the way," Matt said, giving Matilda a final check and nodding towards the nearby door.


	13. Chapter 12

Well, the way I see it Iscariot had information about Shalrik's serum as well, to the bad guys hit their computer too. Iscariot's been trying to find more information about them, just as Hellsing has, and they end up finding locations at the same time.

As for how it's always Alucard vs. Anderson? Well, you could say that Iscariot sends Anderson when they figure Alucard will be there, as Anderson's the only one who could stand up to him. Or, you could say it's random chance.

But in the end, it's because I see Alucard vs. Anderson as one of the classic battles in the series, and I like putting my own spin now that Anderson's getting upgrades.

As for the crossovers… I appreciate the confidence you have in my writing abilities, but I'm not sure I could do that well. I know some about Naruto (And really enjoy the YouTube series "Naruto Abridged". If you haven't seen it, GO NOW!), and I've seen / read Harry Potter, I've only heard about the others. ('Cept Black Lagoon. That one's new.) I've dabbled with crossover plots (mainly between the real world, Star Trek, and Star Wars), but I'm not sure how well I'd do an anime crossover.

Who knows? I may learn enough to give it a try someday, but as I sit here I'm not so sure.

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Matt wasn't sure how much longer he'd be playing Halo 3 on-line in the standard match games…

Sure, there were moments he could enjoy remembering, especially in Forge powered games, but constantly dealing with this prepubescent little shits was getting old. Nekky still wasn't around, and hadn't left any messages for him. He'd eventually found another friend of theirs who was up for a couple other game ideas. Fusion core Jenga was highly entertaining once you messed with gravity and weapon settings.

Matt, Rho, and Brian had made it to the main lab computers. After getting a better layout of the base and getting all the data they could Brian had split off to do… whatever. They'd exchanged contact information in case one side made a breakthrough and needed assistance. Honestly, Matt hadn't expected to hear from Iscariot… ever, but stranger things had happened. Their escape from the base was uneventful, and just like last time the ground collapsed behind them as they climbed the hills, taking the farm with it. The Vulture had returned unharmed and whisked them back to London. Walter and Fargason were pouring over the data with their people, leaving him with little to do.

Right then, though, he needed to get out of there. Stretch his legs a bit. Maybe Rho would be up for some chai?

* * *

Rebecca looked over the newly modified e-mail she planned to send home. She was pretty sure it would work, considering how long she'd put into it. Before she could get her original e-mail sent, she received a couple messages from her folks. They'd only been in the last couple days, but that made sense to her. She really hadn't been missing all that long, and when busy at school she was known to disappear for a few days.

She'd modified her story a couple times since her first plan. Walter had said they could make it work, and when she asked Matt through telepathy he'd agreed, so… Still, she took another read over it.

_Hey guys,_

_Sorry I've been out of touch for a while. Life got kinda hectic for a while, and not just from school. I'm doing ok, though, and I think I'm in a good place now._

_An internship offer came up around the school. Very short notice, but an excellent opportunity. I know we'd planned on me coming home next month, but we're probably going to have to push it back. I might even get a job here, if things go well enough. I'm still getting a handle on things around here, so I'll give a description next e-mail._

_I'm not sure how long I have to write this. They've got me pretty busy around here, but I'll let you know when I'll be free enough to come back for a bit._

_I hope everything is going well back home. My love to everyone there._

_Love,_

_Rebecca_

She did like her nickname, but it was more for her friends and father than anyone else. Her mother was quite adamant that her name was 'Rebecca', not something else. It made like easier if she just went with it.

In the end, she'd figured that being really vague would work for the time being. She still had no idea what to tell them, what they would believe she would drop everything to go do…

Saving the message for later, Rebecca stood and turned toward the door.

She needed to get out of there. Stretch her legs a bit. Maybe Matt would be up for some chai?

* * *

Seras dipped her spoon into the bowl of blood before her, bringing it to her lips to drink it down. "Do you think Anderson made it out of the base?"

Alucard leaned against a nearby wall, a bag of blood in hand. "I would be surprised if he hadn't." He raised the bag to his mouth and sipped through the attached tube. This had become common, the two of them taking their daily blood together and discussing whatever came up. "Besides, I've already asked Walter what he could provide for heavier weapons. I'd hate for his work to go to waste."

Seras smiled, swallowing the next spoonful. "I'm hoping I have Harkonnen next time."

Alucard smiled back, one of his rare full ones. "We'll worry about next time once we're sure there will be a next time. For now, it's a better idea for us to prepare for our current foe."

"The nameless organization." Alucard nodded. Seras eyes him carefully, holding another spoonful before her. "Alucard… are you planning on having fun?"

He simply smirked.

* * *

"We may be sending you into a fire ant nest this time."

A map of Ukraine on the wall, Fargason carefully pointed to a spot on the map near the Belarus border, a good fifty miles from anywhere. "We have no good images of this area, so we're not sure exactly where this base is located. However, I consider it likely you will encounter heavy resistance. Much of their research has been gathered here."

Walter spoke next. "There are no reports of Iscariot presence in the area, though I do know they recovered Paladin Anderson."

Matt sighed. "Of course, he couldn't have the decency to just die and stay out of our hair."

Sir Integra looked at him in the corner of her eye, but said nothing. It seemed she agreed with him. "Continue, Fargason."

"We could keep a number of our troops nearby, but I feel this mission is best suited to our vampires. I feel, however, that we should keep a majority of our troops in the country, spread to the satellite bases in case of an attack." Matt knew that Fargason trusted them… well, at least the three of them he knew. Still, an old soldier like Fargason didn't walk away from a fight easily.

Further still, part of the reason the four vampires were there was to preserve the life of the human troops. Well trained as they were, the vampires were tougher. In many ways, it was the right call. Sir Integra knew this. She nodded. "Very well. If you see a way to take this organization down, do so. Regardless, gather what information you can, specifically about their enhancement research." She set her cigar on the side of the nearby ashtray. "May God and her Majesty be with you."

* * *

For stealth purposes, Alucard and Seras again joined Matt and Rebecca in the Vulture. It was a longer flight then the last one, but with the Vulture's sonic boom dampening design the flight lasted only a few short hours. Alucard had picked a bench, leaned against the bulkhead, and pulled the front of his wide brimmed hat down over his eyes. Seras seemed in debate as to whether or not she should bring her cannon. Rebecca checked that, yes, she still had all her weapons in place.

Matt's weapons were still in storage, though he wore his holsters, frames, and swords. She counted up the nearby weapons and came up two short. "You leave something?"

He looked up at her. "Didn't notice before? I decided the 5-7s were a little too small for front line use. I'll stash 'em in the FX once she's done."

"Okay." She picked a spot on the bench beside him and settled down.

Matt gave her a smile. "Hey, don't worry. We'll be fine."

Rebecca looked over. "Are you sure?"

Matt nodded. "I'm positive."

Rebecca had a sudden flash of memory. She was curious if he knew this chunk of movie dialogue… "Only fools are positive."

Matt chuckled. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

They were both silent for a moment, staring at each other, but before long one of them cracked and both started laughing. Matt ended the fit with a happy sigh, rubbing at an eye. "Oh… I needed that. Thanks."

"Thanks right back."

They said nothing further for the rest of the flight, but both were able to hold on to that moment and relax.

The Vulture finally descended for landing, the flight having felt both too short and too long. After the four vampires hopped to the ground, the Vulture once more dusted off. Not knowing what to expect, Matt, Rebecca, and Seras kept weapons drawn. Night with no moon in this forested mountainous area pushed Rebecca's vision to the limit. Matt tried to fill in what he could, but he was having trouble as well. Alucard simply walked on, not worried or simply not caring what might be out there.

They didn't find a clearing this time, instead coming upon a large stone cave stretching back into the darkness. It became two branches almost immediately, so they split off in their usual pairs. Within moments, Matt had dug into his pocket for a flashlight to attach to his FS2000 rifle, Rebecca doing the same. The stone tunnels were manmade… No, vampire made. After a short distance inside, Matt's light landed on a strange symbol carved into the wall. It was a globe with a pair of fangs stabbed into it. She saw him shudder ever so slightly. 'What is it?'

'One of the last big things we had to fight. The Global Fangs. Kinda hoped I wouldn't have to see this symbol ever again.' He gave a quick thought clearing head shake. 'They're long gone, though. Let's move on.'

* * *

Seras couldn't help but give Alucard a slightly annoyed glare when he suddenly thought to her, 'You won't be needing that.' It reminded her of her first mission at Hellsing, when Fargason had told her she couldn't use a scope on her rifle. True, she didn't need it in the end, but it would have helped her on that first night.

This time it was about the flashlight she was about to grab. 'Ok, then, what do you suggest I do?'

'Give your eyes a chance to adjust. They are far more adaptable then you know.'

She sighed, but humored him. She soon saw that he was right. There was a very faint, almost infrared light source. Once her eyes locked on to it, she could see well enough to navigate. 'Huh… Pretty comfortable, actually.'

'That,' Alucard replied, 'and it would put human vampire hunters at a disadvantage. They would need night vision goggles to move through here undetected, which makes them vulnerable to being blinded if they switch the lights on.'

'Very true… I hadn't thought of that.'

Alucard smirked. 'You were a cop, not a soldier. Now you can be both, and you must be.'

She smiled back. 'I will be.' She passed the message along to Matt. He wasn't stupid, but he would likely pick the more expedient option.

* * *

'Got it, Seras. Thanks.' He looked back to Rho. 'Ok. Lights off. Seras says if we give our eyes a bit, they'll do fine.'

'Well,' she replied, 'I might as well give 'em another chance.' Her light switched off moments later.

Matt's did too. They stood there for what felt like several minutes, but it turned out Seras was right. He could even see the miniscule light bulbs, probably small LEDs, embedded into the ceiling. Rho said she couldn't see much, but she would likely not hit anything, so both continued.

It was all just stone. They found no equipment, no supplies, no ghouls, not even a random small woodland creature. But they'd also found no end, so they pressed on. Soon, another message came from Seras. 'We found a door.'

'Good,' Matt replied. 'How are they hidden?'

'Wait a sec, Matt.' Matt turned to look at Rho, who seemed to be staring at a piece of wall. 'I think I've got something here.'

'One moment, Seras. We might have one too.' Matt walked back to her. 'What do you see?'

'It's similar to the symbol I saw in France.' Matt suddenly felt something move through her mind. 'Woah…' She reached out to the wall, as if about to fall. Meanwhile, a slab of the rock before them started sliding down into the floor, revealing an airlock like chamber beyond.

Matt grabbed her shoulder to steady her, but she patted his hand to let him know she was fine. 'What is it?'

'Mind probe again. This one was a bit different from the last one.' She looked over to him. 'I'm okay, Matt, really.'

'Alright.' He set a hand on her shoulder for a moment, then let it down. 'We're in, Seras.'

She sounded a little annoyed. 'Good. We're not. There was an override for the France door. Nothing like that here.'

'Give us a chance to look around. There might be a way for us to let you in from the inside.'

He heard a mental sigh. 'Alright. We'll wait here.'

Matt turned to Rho. 'Let's do it.'

They entered the airlock, the false stone door sealing behind them. Slowly, the light in the room increased to more normal levels, their eyes adjusting quickly to keep up. 'Ah, so more of a 'lightlock',' Matt thought to Rho. Once to a decent level, the inner door opened… to an empty corridor. 'How the hell could they have built all this stuff without us knowing?'

Rho thought for a moment, probably thinking back to what Walter had said. 'Dummy corporations? Bribes in the right places?'

'Heaven forbid, human partners?' He sighed and shook his head. 'Maybe when we find the guy leading this group I'll ask him before ripping his head off.'

'I'll join in.'

After a brief search, they found a small computer room. Finding it unoccupied, Rho was able to get into the system thanks to her mental imprint and get both schematics to the place and open the door Seras and Alucard were waiting at. The place only had two levels, but those levels stretched far into the mountain. Matt and Rho would remain on the upper level for their search. Seras and Alucard would take the lower.

As they searched, Matt became convinced that these vampires had known Hellsing would be coming, and probably evacuated their base. But Rho hadn't sensed a self-destruct in progress, so they continued. The schematic had identified some sort of command chamber to the place. If there was anyone around, and therefore anyone they could get answers from… after blasting off a leg or two, of course, that would be the place. They entered a higher security section, evidenced by the round portals in the ceiling. Matt switched to Matilda, and its HE slugs, in the nick of time. A scanner dropped. There was no time to duck for cover, so Matt simply blasted it.

Almost immediately, red lights started flashing and an alarm klaxon sounded. "Damn," Matt said. "So much for a smooth mission." Bringing Matilda to his shoulder, he pressed on. Moments later, though, a number of vampires and their escorting ghouls entered the corridor before them. Matt opened fire immediately, sending several explosive slugs into the group. The ghouls were torn apart as silver bullets from Spitfire leveled several vampires. Matt switched to his silver slugs, taking down the remaining few.

They had another pair of skirmishes, both easily countered, en route to the far side of the base. The control room door parted once it scanned Rho, and both entered. The spartan nature of the rest of the base was made up for by this room. Banks of computers lined the walls, giving data links from a large number of their own bases as well as maps showing a number of military and anti-vampire force bases around the world. Matt saw several of Hellsing's hidden strongholds on one map, and several of DPSD's on another. A conference table sat to one side, several lamps suspended above it and a number of complex chemical structures represented on charts. There was a small vial of orange goo on the table as well.

It was also populated. There were a large number of vampires, some of them looking like they'd gotten too much sun. 'Weak bloods,' Matt thought, mostly to himself. But one of the ones before him was different. He was large, built like a linebacker, with short brown hair and wearing a denim vest, black jeans, boots, and blue metal bracers.

"Well, well," the big one said, "looks like the Hellsingers have finally showed up."

Matt's eyes slowly went wide.

He knew that voice.

* * *

These vampires weren't the strongest they'd ever fought. According to Alucard, they didn't even meet the average. Seras wasn't sure if that was the truth, or just Alucard's disdain. Then again, Alucard was able to hide the two of them from detection while in a brightly lit room, so she tended to agree with him.

There were a number of vampires in the various labs of the lower level. Antechambers with large windows allowed them to see inside. Within were large chemical analysis machines, high powered microscopes, multiple vial centrifuges... Basically, all the equipment they'd expected to see in all the other bases they'd found. The pair watched as the techs mixed various chemicals, blood, and processes. The end product was a strange orange goo; many vials of it. They were packaged in a box, save for one which was carried off soon after it was filled and capped. Seras and Alucard looked at each other. Both knew what came next; they needed to get their hands on a vial.

Suddenly, an alarm klaxon split the air. Seras looked around, but didn't see anyone charging at them. 'Doubtless Jemeth has been spotted,' Alucard noted. They peered into one of the labs again. There was a flurry of activity as techs started working the computers, downloading information from remote terminals and sending it to other bases. Suddenly, one vampire came in and barked some kind of order. All the techs dropped what they were doing and left through a back door.

Seras gave the glass a quick once over. It wasn't bulletproof, but it looked blast resistant. She drew both Glocks and sent a double burst of nine millimeter fire into the window. The bullets were captured, but the glass was weakened by it, allowing Alucard's follow-up shots to blow straight through.

It seemed he'd agreed with her assessment; gun fire might be hidden by the alarms, but teleporting would probably draw anyone nearby to see who was doing something funny. Seras instantly dropped before one of the computers. She halted the upload and made a quick search of the system. Locating the destination, she plugged in a flash drive and grabbed all the data she could. Alucard grabbed a vial of goo, which disappeared into his trench coat.

They had grabbed all they could. Techs were returning. Hiding the evidence of their interference, they returned to the antechamber.

Alucard toyed with the techs a little further. Not only were Seras and Alucard hidden, but the techs never noticed the shattered window either.

* * *

Someone tossed a shotgun into the head vampire's hands, which he pumped and aimed at his hip at Matt. It was nearly identical to the Halo shotgun. Matt chuckled. "So, that's Betsy, eh?" Matt asked. "Well, so much for originality."

The shotgun was lowered, slightly. "Huh… Jemmat?" He looked back at another, lankier vampire with lighter brown hair, plus beard stubble across his chin, wearing a dark green vest and tan jeans. "Look who we got here, KC; Jemmat, in the flesh."

KC shrugged. "Never pinned him as a Hellsinger, though. You, Nekbrekr?"

Nekbrekr shook his head, his eyes returning to Matt. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to join us," he said. "If you're half as good as you are in Halo, you'd be an asset."

Matt slowly shook his head. He probably should have expected this, especially considering Nekbrekr now saw what Matt could bring to his little organization. "You've been a good war buddy on Live, Nekky, but this isn't Halo. Same rules don't apply."

Nekbrekr didn't fire immediately, instead looking over at Rho. "How about you, Sniper Bait? Wanna ditch this looser and hook up with a winning team here?"

Matt thought he heard a very quiet burp from Rho as she tried to swallow her disgust. "Sorry, I just threw up in my mouth a bit, just now."

"All right, I'll take that as a no." He shrugged. "Shame. I think we could have kicked some serious ass." Nekbrekr fired.

Matt had dodged almost immediately, barely getting out of the way. Rho opened fire too, but Nekky moved as well and her shots landed in some random underling. The small massed group all fired, their shots crisscrossing but few managing to find their intended targets. Abandoning the vial, Matt and Rho ran for the door and somehow made it out unscathed. More ghouls approached from further down the hall.

Matt and Rho needed no further encouragement to run.

They had something of a running battle as they escaped from the base and back into the cave. Someone had switched the lights on, meaning they had a far easier time backtracking to the cave's entrance. Seras and Alucard were already there, and quickly reported that they had scored pretty big.

They started back down the wooded mountain, calling for the Vulture to make an emergency pickup. The nearest clearing was still several minutes ahead, and they ran as quickly as was possible.

But a group of vampires and ghouls intercepted them en route. Suddenly, enemy forces were approaching from all sides. The four Hellsing vampires dropped to a knee, quickly forming a four person infantry square, with each member facing outward with twin pistols firing. Seras's Glocks mowed down ghouls, while Alucard's huge Jackal and Titan took them out in columns. Matt's Brownings held their own, but were slightly outdone by Rho's P99s. For what seemed like ages, the enemy just kept coming in a never ending cycle of shoot, cover, reload, and shoot again.

And as suddenly as it had started, the attack ended. Seras and Alucard were both fine. Matt checked himself for any new holes, then looked to his right. He quickly stood, looked around, and shouted, "Rebecca!"

Rho was gone.


	14. Chapter 13

I was wondering if anyone would pick that up. Actually pointed at my screen yelling "YES!!!"

I was pretty sure folks would see Rho as a possible romance for Matt. (Not to make your comment any less, MindAsylum. I'm glad someone picked up on that too.) But I didn't think Nekbrekr was quite as obvious.

My thanks for that name go to my first roommate, who actually used that as his Halo 2 gamertag. I don't know if he'll ever read this, but I wanted to put it up all the same.

As for Rho…. Read on.

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The door to Walter's office was nearly burst off its hinges with the speed at which Matt entered. Walter looked up, and actually moved back a bit on his chair as Matt planted his hands on Walter's desk and leaned forward and asked, rapid fire, "Is there any news? Is she ok? Where'd they take her? What can I…?"

"Mr. Jemeth!" Walter interrupted, keenly aware that his and Fargason's combined staffs were watching them. "I have nothing to tell you right now. We still have a large amount of data to go through, and if you would allow us time we will sort through it as quickly as possible."

The initial shout was enough to snap Matt back to reality. "Right… Sorry, Walter." He gave a sigh. "It's just… I was right there, and she was taken. It's all my fault."

"I understand, Mr. Jemeth. If we learn anything as to Ms. Conway's location, I will ensure you are one of the first to know."

Matt nodded. "Thanks, Walter. I'll… get out of your hair." He turned and left, moving through the second floor of the Hellsing mansion towards the stairs.

They were all at high alert. The preliminary analysis of the data Seras and Alucard collected showed that these guys were much better off then Hellsing had expected. Their goo was much more potent that Shalrik's, and they could work up a hell of a strike force in short order. Still, they didn't know how much Hellsing knew, meaning there might still be some time before any sort of attack. Warning messages had been sent out to the DPSD… Hell, someone even suggested giving a heads up to Iscariot.

The biggest thing they needed to do was figure out if these folks had a main base, where it was, and figure out how to take it down. To do that they needed time, and Matt had heard from many people that he needed to relax for a bit and let Walter's people do their jobs. After she heard about what happened in Walter's office, Seras intercepted Matt on his way to the courtyard, got him to return to the basement levels, and damn near shoved him in front of his 360.

She did have a point. If he kept worrying everyone about this, they'd all end up with ulcers. He took her, and everyone else's, advice and powered up the 360. Halo 3 was actually sounding pretty good right about then.

* * *

Seras started back toward the stairs a short while later. Maybe if Matt knew she was helping work on it he would remain in his room until they had a solid lead. But then, she saw a red and blue blur heading up the stairs before her. Muttering a silent curse, Seras ran after it, catching up with Matt before he'd made it to the main level. He was wearing his grubby red t-shirt and blue jean shorts. "Just what do you think you're doing, Matt?"

"I need to finish Jaden. Now." His voice carried a quiet intensity to them… This wasn't the worried Matt she'd dealt with earlier.

"Why?" Seras asked.

He sighed, trying to calm himself before continuing. "Nekbrekr left a message for me on Xbox Live. He's got Rho." He gave a somewhat annoyed nod. "Yes, I know we know that already. But he says he's challenging me to one final game. Gave me the location. The car is damn near done, and I might need it." He sighed again, this one a bit more vexing. "Besides, it'll give me time to think of how to get Sir Integra to let me do this myself."

"Why just you?"

"Partly because that's what he said, 'Just you'. Also, if Walter finds their main base, you and Alucard will need to hit it hard and fast."

He'd stopped speaking, but she knew there was more. "What else, Matt. Why is it so important you go? It has to be a trap." She felt a flare from within his mind, and pressed on. "It this because of Rebecca?"

For a long while, Matt was silent. He simply stared at her, trying to keep his face solid, but in the end he failed. He looked towards the floor for a second, then back up to her. "I'm not certain yet. I know I like her, but I'm not sure how deep that feeling goes. It's not a direction I've let my brain think in since… Well, since I managed to break my crush on you."

Seras's eyes went wide. "Your what?"

He suddenly seemed much more relaxed, giving her a bit of a smirk. "Never knew, did you?" Matt chuckled. "Good, I have a reputation for never revealing my crushes, at least not to the person I have the crush on." Giving a sigh, his face went straight. "Still, I may not know what I'm feeling, but I want to make sure I've got a chance to find out. So, I'll play the game by his rules, mostly."

"Mostly?"

"I'll face him alone, but the location he gave was in the States. I figure I'll get in touch with some friends there. Once I take out Nekky, or maybe even before, the DPSD will drop the hammer on them."

Seras paused, considering his words. His plan had some risks involved, but it was still quite valid. Perhaps a final test for him? "I'll help you make this happen on one condition."

Without hesitation he replied, "Name it."

In a move she knew he would find familiar, she brought her right arm before him, pressing the index fingernail from her left hand into the soft underside of her forearm. "Drink my blood. Release yourself from your fledgling status. If you're going to save Rho, you need to have your full abilities behind you."

For a moment, he simply stared at her arm, and for that moment Seras was afraid he wouldn't do as she asked. But then he looked up at her and smiled. "With everything that's been happening recently, I kinda forgot that I still was your fledgling." He gave a solemn nod. "I will, Seras."

With that, and with no warning because she knew it was going to sting, Seras quickly drew her fingernail across her flesh, releasing a small line of blood. Matt gently took her arm, brought it to his mouth, and cleaned the blood streak. The self-inflicted wound had already healed, so he released her arm. His eyes suddenly closed, one hand pressing against a nearby wall for stability. "Woah…" he said. But moments later he was stable. Slowly, he opened his eyes. "I feel it," he said. "It's faint, but I really do feel a difference…"

"And?"

His eyes locked with hers. "Before I was just pretty sure I was doing the right thing. Now, I'm certain of it."

Seras nodded. She'd been expecting that. The extra conviction would be of great help to him in the near future, she was certain. "Go work on your car. I will speak with Sir Integra."

Matt reached up and grabbed her shoulder. "Thanks, Seras." With that, he finished climbing the stairs and started off for the motorpool.

Now Seras had to figure out how to carry out her promise…

A short while later she climbed the stairs to Sir Integra's office. She gave the door several solid knocks and waited for Sir Integra to call, "Enter!"

The room was much the same as usual, though Sir Integra had a number of intelligence reports before her. Rather then get it all at a mission briefing, she'd asked to be kept up to speed. This was a bit larger of a problem than they'd dealt with in some time. Checking her spot in the file, Sir Integra closed the folder and set her hands on the desk. "Yes, Victoria."

"Sir Integra," Seras began, "we have a possible mission being prepared that needs your approval before it's implemented."

Integra leaned back in her chair, snatching up the lit cigar from her desk. "Go on."

Seras described what Matt had told her, about how Rebecca was being held and that Nekbrekr had challenged Matt, likely for her release. "While this happens," she continued, "the organization will likely be distracted, making our attack on their base easier. Matt already plans on contacting the DPSD for assistance, so none of our resources will be committed to the operation, save for himself. He understands the risks, and is prepared for them."

Sir Integra released the cigar drag, her eyebrow lifting ever so slightly. "Then why isn't he here making this proposal himself?"

"He is making preparations," Seras explained. "He feels the modifications he's made to his car will be useful. They were nearly complete, so I told him to focus on them." Sir Integra probably thought he'd sent Seras because he was afraid of her, or something. Not the case. Seras just knew she would be a lot more coherent, and that Matt's current attire would not exactly impress.

"He will be at a disadvantage," Sir Integra noted. "The bind on him will not weaken due to distance from you, and the enemy commander will have no such bind."

"Matt has learned to fight without his abilities, and I dare say he is stronger for it." She looked Sir Integra straight in the eye. "If you allow him to do this, he WILL win. There's no other option."

Sir Integra took one last drag from her cigar. "Very well. I'll approve this mission. Once his preparations are complete, he will give me his report before he leaves."

Seras bowed. "Yes, Sir Integra. I will inform him immediately."

"Dismissed."

* * *

The suspension was in, tested, and ready to go. Brakes were in, bled, and better then new. The new special tires were mounted and rolling freely. Every little piece and part was tested, retested, tweaked, and tested again. Matt had hoped he'd have time to drive her around a bit and work out the bugs… Seemed like Jaden would have the clichéd trial by fire.

Seras had already told him to pass by Sir Integra's office. He would, but it was the last thing on his list. Once the car was as ready as he could make it, he returned to his room to shower and change. He grabbed his usual mission garb, grabbing a dark red t-shirt to match his Spartan's armor color. From there, after downing the blood bag Seras had left for him, he swung over to the armory. He loaded up a cart with all his weapons plus Spitfire, which had been recovered after Rho's capture. Careful not to collide with anyone or drop weapons on the floor, Matt pushed the cart to the motorpool's lower level, using an elevator to return to the main level. Carefully, he loaded weapons into the car.

His FX, originally a four or five seater, was down to two. He'd removed the back seat and spare tire to make room for weapon storage on the walls and within the new false floor. They were all mostly concealed, and if need be more gear could be piled in the back. Best of all, he could still use the rearview mirror.

Word had spread about his impending mission. A number of the troops stopped by to wish him luck, or to offer assistance. He accepted the luck, but this was his mission. They were needed here incase the shit hit the fan while he was away.

There was one last thing to do. He headed for the communications room. He hoped he'd done his time zone math right…

* * *

It was a good thing Akira had decided to get up earlier then usual that day. No sooner had she gotten conscious and dressed when a runner arrived at her door. Seemed Matt needed to talk with her that morning, and it really couldn't wait. Making sure that she didn't look like she'd just woken up, she got to her office and powered up the vid monitor. As she dropped into the chair, she said. "Well, hello Matt. What can I do for you?"

Something was troubling him. She could see it in his face now that she was looking at him. "I need a lift," he said. "Something big enough to haul some gear."

Akira turned to her computer, tapping in a few queries. "Well, you're in luck. There's a C-17 fueling at RAF Northolt. Should be able to get them to stay long enough for you to get aboard. What's going on?"

"These new bastards we've been fighting? I'm going after their leader. I figure I'm headed to a base of his, there in the States. While I'm busy fighting him, I thought you all might like to hammer away at the rest of them."

She thought about it, for about two seconds, then nodded. "Well, you've got my support. I'll get Roland in on it as well. Get yourself to Northolt ASAP. The Globemaster will be waiting for you there."

He held up a hand for a moment. "Oh, one more thing. I may need to make a stop along the way, likely Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. I won't know until I get to the plane, though."

Akira nodded. "I'll make sure they know. They're on the return leg of their trip, though, so try not to make them wait too long, ok?"

Matt nodded, actually giving a hint of a smile. "I promise. Thanks, Aki."

"Any time."

* * *

So, everything was ready. The car was running, packed, and ready to roll. Matt was clean, dressed, and had taken a couple extra bags of blood as pre-battle fortification. His ride was ready, as was his quick stop in Germany. It was almost time to leave.

Just one more thing to cross off his 'to-do' list.

As was the apparent tradition, Matt climbed the stairs, stopped at Sir Integra's office door, reached back to knock, and was told to enter before he could get his hand halfway back. Calmly, he opened the door and entered. He wasn't the same frantic vampire he'd been a few short hours before. There was no uncertainty anymore, no question. He had a mission now, and all his focus was on getting to it. He stopped before Sir Integra and gave a slight bow.

"I take it you are ready to leave," Sir Integra said without preamble.

Matt nodded. "Yes, Sir Integra. There's a cargo jet waiting for me over in Northolt. As soon as I get there, we're gone."

"Victoria believes you are ready to undertake another mission on your own." Ah, yes… Matt had wondered if his last solo mission to the States would be brought up. "What is your opinion?"

Hmm… Not the question he had anticipated. "I'm a lot different now than I was then. Different strengths, different weaknesses, different mission. But I am confidant in my abilities, I know I can trust my allies in the States, and I know there's a lot of good people here to keep Great Britain safe. I will succeed. I don't see any other option."

He tried not to sound cocky and to keep his voice calm, but he knew his words carried with them more strength then Sir Integra had ever heard from him. He knew it was what she wanted to hear before she'd let him leave; that he was tough enough to handle it. She nodded to him. "Mission approved. May God and her Majesty be with you."

"Amen."

* * *

Brian Malcolm approached the stopped cargo jet, newly landed at Ramstein Air Force Base, and waited for the side passenger ramp to touch the ground. The now familiar Matt Jemeth appeared, heading down the ramp to meet him at its base. "Brian," Matt said with a smile, extending a hand. "I'm glad you came."

Brian waited a moment, then finally met Matt's hand and shook. "I have to admit I was curious why you'd call me."

"I'm a little surprised you're here. Didn't figure Iscariot would let you."

The paladin couldn't keep the sour expression completely from his face. "They didn't."

Matt's face instantly snapped from happiness to concern. "What happened? I didn't get you into that much trouble, did I?"

Brian gave a dismissing hand wave. "I'd rather not talk about it right now. Please, tell me your mission."

And Matt did. He started with the basic mission, taking down the enemy commander, then expanded on his motivation for going, leaving the rest of Hellsing's forces behind, and contacting Brian. "I know I'm gonna need some backup in there," Matt said on the last point, "and frankly you're the only person I trust who's tough enough to do it." They wouldn't be alone, though. The DPSD had already promised their support.

"Are you sure you want to go after Nekbrekr alone?"

Matt nodded. "I figure most of the vampires there will be watching us. It'll distract them long enough for you to bust up any supplies of orange wonder goo they've got, then start hacking away at your discretion." He smirked. "I know you paladins love your blades, and all."

That managed to get a wry chuckle from Brian, along with a slight head shake. "Well, you've convinced me, Matt." He gestured up the jet's passenger ramp. "Lead on."

* * *

Seras ran through another weapons check, making sure she knew where everything was and how to get her hands on them in short order. They knew their foes had a main base. It was only a matter of time before they located it, and she wanted to be ready to go in short order. True, Matt saw his attack on Nekbrekr as a distraction to the main base, allowing them an easier strike, but Seras also saw their attack on the main base as a distraction to Nekbrekr. If there was anything she could do to help her friend, she wanted to do it.

"Relax, Police Girl. All of that pacing will wear a hole in the floor."

She paused, looking over at Alucard. He was leaning back in one of her room's armchairs, hat pulled down over his eyes. He hadn't been there a moment before, but his sudden arrivals were getting all the more common. "It's MY floor," Seras pointed out, "and I'll do with it as I please."

Alucard laughed, likely trying to combine that statement with who she'd been years before. Seras couldn't help but chuckle after a few moments of remaining straight faced herself. He gestured to one of the other chairs in the room. She took the hint and sat. "They will likely send a contingent of human troops with us when this attack comes."

"Yeah, I've been thinking about that. I'd thought I should stay with them, for the start at least. Hard to know how much enhancement serum they have." She tried to smirk. "Either you'll be really bored, or really busy."

"Regardless," Alucard replied, "we will be victorious."

That provoked a chuckle. "Alucard, if you ever say anything different, I'm certain it'll be a sign of the Apocalypse."

The elder vampire gave one of his trademark smirks. "Oh? And how can you be certain that I don't plan to start the Apocalypse myself?"

"Please! One crisis at a time, thank you very much!" She stood and walked toward him. He stood and walked towards her. "But this crisis doesn't strike until tomorrow, correct?"

"Correct," Alucard replied. "How shall we spend our time?"

"Do you have any ideas?"

His hands snaked across her back, gently resting on her shoulder and the back of her head. "I think I have one."

It had taken Seras many years to finally come to terms with what she'd become. Having Alucard as hers, and herself as his, helped make her transition complete. And as the gasp of pleasure passed her lips as Alucard's fangs gently entered her neck as they had all those years ago, she knew that she had found a pleasure that could last forever.

* * *

The Air Force C-17 had landed a few short minutes before and had finished taxiing to a marked parking spot on the airfield. It was just before midday at Mountain Home Air Force Base, southeast Idaho. The target wasn't exactly within spitting distance, but this was the closest base to it. The cargo jet's passenger ramp had already lowered, two individuals egressing as the crew preformed their post-flight checklists.

Akira Nasori recognized one of them immediately. Matt, in what he had come to call his 'mission garb'. Beside him was a newcomer, though dressed in robes she recognized as Iscariot. That in itself surprised her. She didn't think an Iscariot paladin could get that close to a vampire without one of them bursting into flame, or something akin. They weren't exactly buddy-buddy, but certainly looked like comrades in arms.

Still, all that immediately left the jet were those two.

Akira approached, meeting Matt in a friendly hug and giving the paladin a friendly handshake. "Akira," Matt started, "this is Brian Malcolm. Brian, Akira Nasori, DPSD."

"Pleasure to meet you," she said.

"You as well," Brian replied. "I have heard a few things about the DPSD, most of them good, and I believe I heard your name among the good news articles."

Akira gave a small smile. "Well, don't believe everything you hear. I'm good because the people I lead are the best." She didn't care if it sounded cliché; it was damned true. "But I've gotta ask you, Matt; you asked for a decent sized jet for the two of you?"

Matt's eyes were drawn towards the back of the C-17. "Nope. I needed that too."

Akira turned to look, watching as loaders and load masters worked to unload one larger piece of cargo. It took her a moment to recognize it, but once she did she knew exactly where she'd seen it before. "Your car?" she asked. "You had us bring your car over. You make it a war wagon, or something? With triple gatling guns and advanced SAMs?"

He chuckled and smiled. "Nope. But still, she's not your average Toyota." Matt looked over the local area, seeing the assembled vehicles. This base was actually not too far from a course from the nearest DPSD base to the target area. Stopping by to grab Matt was easy. "Let's get a move on," Matt said. "It's high time we kick some bad guy ass."


	15. Chapter 14

All righty. Quick chapter post, then off to turn in homework. Next one in a few hours!

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They moved as a convoy down the back country two lane roads, a series of troop trucks and humvees. Within the pack was an oddity; a small gray hatchback. Matt Jemeth and Brian Malcolm sat within, the forces of the DPSD ahead and behind. Matt had a microphone headset, with the radio set so that Brian could hear as well. Akira's voice came over the comm. "You sure about this?"

Matt gave a wry chuckle. "Seems to be the question of the day, but yeah I am. It might not be the best of plans, but it is a plan. I doubt Nekbrekr will allow anyone to attack while I'm on the way in."

"Why's that?" Brian asked.

"He wants to see if I'm any good," Matt replied. "He's been fighting me on Halo for months now. While the physics of fighting in the game are nothing like real life, some of the same tactics can apply." He looked at the GPS navigation he'd installed. They were still on course, but a little ways out. "I'll have one of your transponders on board. I'd imagine I'll be able to get a signal out, either when I start my attack or right when I finish."

"Right…" Akira said. "Just be careful down there, ok?"

Matt smiled. "You got it."

"Turn's coming up," the lead humvee reported.

"Thanks, lead," Matt replied.

Up ahead, the column turned to leave the road. Humvees made the transition with no hesitation. The trucks, all further back in the formation, would have to slow a tad. Brian looked over at Matt. "Umm… Matt, I hate to be a bother, but I noticed that this car has little in the way of ground clearance."

Matt turned to him briefly to flash a proud smile. "Not a bother at all, Brian. But as I noted to Akira…" Matt leaned forward, reaching to a trio of paddle switches sticking out of the dashboard's center. "…she's not your average Toyota." One at a time, he flipped the switches.

Suddenly, the car was boosted up by a good foot as the suspension extended. The steering arms and half-shafts extended as well, pushing the wheels outside the wheel wells. Finally, additional tread extended from the tires. Almost immediately after the extensions were complete, the car hit dirt. Jaden slowed for a brief moment before Matt added more pressure to the gas. Her custom built five-speed transmission downshifted, and she stabilized at fifty miles per hour off road, nice and smooth as she rolled over the dirt road swells and bumps.

"Not your average Toyota indeed," Brian said, apparently impressed.

More of Matt's focus was on the dirt road before them, trying to keep the car within the lines carved by the humvees ahead. "I know you didn't want to talk about it on the flight over, but I've got to ask again. I need to know why you're here. The only time I've fought at the side of a paladin was under Iscariot's orders."

Brian sighed, leaning back in the passenger seat a tad. "I suppose I should tell my story to someone, in case something happens to me." His eyes remained focused out the front windshield as he spoke. "At Iscariot, there are three general opinions when it comes to Hellsing. The majority opinion is that 'Not only are they Protestant, but they use vampires as well. We should cleanse the Earth of them while we're completing our holy work'. One of the minority opinions is that as we both have the same goals we should work together whenever there's an opportunity."

"I take it you're of a third?"

He nodded. "Correct. The other minority opinion, the one I agree with, is that if you stay on your side of Europe and we stay on ours then there's no reason why we can't simply ignore each other."

Matt looked over at Brian through the corner of his eye for a moment. "The fact you're here suggests a change in opinion."

"A change forced upon me, I must admit." He paused, as if debating how to put the next part. "I felt, as this foe was a decided threat to the world as a whole and not just one of our respective parts of it, that this case was an exception to my rule. However, Iscariot learned of your message to me. They gave me a choice; ignore you, or meet your summon and never return." He attempted a smile. "Their choice of words, of course."

"So, what do you do from here, assuming we all survive this?"

"Well, Iscariot is no longer an option. I'm not sure that my abilities will carry over into the rest of society all that well."

Matt smiled. "What about the DPSD?"

Brian looked over at him. "The DPSD?"

"Yeah. They're always on the look out for good people, and you wouldn't have to deal with working side-by-side with folks like me." He paused for a moment. "At least, not often."

"A very good point, Matt… I'll consider it. Assuming, of course, we still live in a few hours."

* * *

The troops were gathered in short order, Seras and Alucard joining after a short pre-briefing in Sir Integra's office. They'd located the base. It was in Europe as well, in the western part of Alba, a county of Romania. Alucard had smirked, noting that had once been part of Transylvania. 'My old stomping grounds.' It was remote, rugged terrain. Good place to hide a base.

Fargason stood before the assembled troops, Harison by his side. "This will not be an easy mission," he started. "If it weren't, however, it wouldn't be a Hellsing mission. You are our best troops, and I know you will all return." He turned to Harison, muttering something and allowing the younger man to step forward.

Harison launched into the briefing. "We've located the main base of our enemy. We know little about it, but there will likely be a large number of ghouls backed by vampires. They have a new enhancement serum which they will probably not hesitate to use. Victoria will be backing us for our initial attack and push into their base. Alucard... Have I ever needed to tell you what to do?" There were a few chuckles from the troops.

Alucard simply smirked and shook his head. Seras made a silent addition to Harison's words, "COULD he actually tell Alucard what to do?"

Harison continued. "We load up here and drive to the Vultures. When we attack, we hit hard and fast. Take out anything that stands in our way, and destroy all samples of the serum."

He turned to Fargason and saluted. Fargason returned it. "May God and Her Majesty be with you."

* * *

"So, Anderson wasn't always a Regenerator."

Seeing as Brian's tenure with Iscariot was at an end, he indulged Matt's requests for information. He didn't give up anything highly classified, but he knew the young vampire was learning something. Matt had been brought up well. Brian was scarcely older than he was, but Matt was treating him with respect.

Seemed Iscariot was a bit wrong about him. Perhaps they were wrong about the others as well?

"No. His abilities, like mine with my holy magic, were gained through various biochemical modifications." He didn't go into details, and Matt didn't ask. "Mine were, in a way, an experiment to the latest batch of his."

"Yeah, Alucard mentioned him using abilities similar to yours, on top of his usual ones." Matt shuddered. "If I never had to fight him again, I'd be very, very happy."

Matt's attention was drawn to the GPS unit as it started beeping. The unit had gained even more importance as the terrain had turned progressively more rocky. They'd managed to avoid several rock formations and cut their way through the hills. "Have we arrived?"

The vampire nodded. "Yep. We're there." Ahead, the column was coming to a stop. By earlier agreement, Matt and Brian would split off before arrival, with the DPSD waiting out of sight as best as possible. Akira gave a final wishing of good luck as her humvee pulled away.

Matt continued driving down the dirt road, pulling around the next rocky outcropping, and their destination made itself known. Ahead was a massive cave, its entrance wider then it was tall. A number of stalagmites and stalactites looked like so many sharp teeth in a mouth. All was brown and gray. It was as if its occupants were trying to keep folks away through sight alone. Brian had to admit he was disquieted for a moment.

From Matt he saw a light shudder. "Are you all right?" Brian asked.

Matt nodded. "Yeah, I'm ok. Just got hit by a bit of a wave, there. They're definitely down there. Decent number." He gave a light grave chuckle. "Looks like we're gonna earn our pay today." The car slowed to a stop, Matt's eyes closing.

"What is it?"

"I'm getting us up some stealthing." Eyes still closed, he pressed a button on the dashboard. "A combination of my own abilities and running a charge through the skin of the car." Another pressed button increased the tint of the windows slightly. "Mirrored on the other side," he explained.

"You thought of everything," Brian replied. 'Smart kid,' he thought. 'I'll have to congratulate his parents, if I ever meet them.'

"I try," Matt said. His eyes reopened, and he started the car forward. "I figure we're expected, and that cave looks big enough. I'm gonna try driving in."

Brian turned to look in the back of the car, where his sword laid. He could get it quickly if needed. "If you feel it is wise, then go ahead."

Matt gave another chuckle, this one amused. "Paladin Malcolm, I'm just making this up as I go along." Slowly, the car started into the darkness. Matt hit the headlights, then pushed the control stick to flip on the brights. The cone of light didn't quite reach the sides of the cave immediately by them, but they illuminated an obvious path before them. They twisted their way through the cave, which started to steadily narrow. Matt was about to stop the car to get out and scout the area when a piece of the ground started to drop ahead of them. At first, a line of white light shown through as the floor became a ramp easily wide enough to handle the car.

"Well, in we go," Matt said, nudging the car gently toward the ramp.

* * *

The trio of Hellsing Vultures lifted off and started away, the troops quickly forming up and getting their counts. They'd run through their briefings back at Hellsing. Now was the time to act.

The target was just over the next hill. It was still a decent sized hill, so it took them a little while to march the troops there. Harison remained in the lead, Seras right at his side. Alucard hadn't remained with the troops, likely getting a look at the base or planning the order in which he would kill the enemy vampires.

They reached the crest of the hill, Seras and Harison moving forward to assess the target. It looked like an old military base. A fortified wall with defensive positions surrounding a number of buildings. A couple looked like barracks, another like a garage, and several others like administration.

Alucard's voice suddenly broke the quiet. "There's more underground," he said.

Seras, long used to his sudden interjections, simply looked over and smiled. "I never assumed otherwise." She looked back towards the wall. There were two doors she could see; one for vehicles, the other for personnel. "I figure we take a small group through the personnel door. They open the main gate for everyone else, then we split up and secure the buildings."

Harison nodded to her. He'd asked for her idea on a plan as a sort of test of her tactical thinking. He'd been considering just such a plan. "I want you on that team," he said.

She saluted. "Yes, sir." Once he returned it, she swung Harkonnen into her hands and loaded a depleted uranium shell.

Harison gathered up a few of his people, forming a group around Seras. He would lead the main charge once the gates were open. There was no way the troops could get to the door undetected, but they already had a plan in motion to deal with that.

Seras lead the small assault team away from the tree line and into the clearing. There were scarcely a quarter of the way there when spotlights came on and the alarm was sounded. Ghouls and their vampire masters lined the walls. Bullets zipped past their heads as the troops dropped to the ground for cover and returned fire.

Behind them, from positions just along the tree line, another squad of troops fired a number of mortars, launching a newly developed silver fragmenting explosive shell. They were right on target, the shells striking the defensive wall. Anything that didn't flee was destroyed in clouds of ash.

In between mortar volleys, the assault team continued to move forward. They soon reached the personnel door. Seras stood before it, a few meters away, the other troops arranged around her as she expected they would come under fire immediately after the door was down. She raised Harkonnen, aimed from the hip, and fired. The cannon gave its deafening report, pushing Seras back a good twenty centimeters. The shell struck the door dead center, blowing it off its hinges. The vampires and ghouls immediately behind it were torn to pieces; the rest quickly felled by the assault team's combined firepower.

The gate controls were nearby, undamaged by the mortar and cannon fire. Seras activated it, and soon Hellsing had easy access to the base.

The enemy's front defensive line had been decimated. It was time to press on.

* * *

The hidden ramp rose behind them as Matt drove Jaden further into the facility. It was a very modern complex, seemingly based around a descending spiral ramp with the occasional door on its outward side. It was all metal, kinda like the non-skid surface put on ship decks, so as they moved Matt switched off the car's off-road mode. Matt and Brian saw a number of vampires and the occasional ghoul, but none paid Matt much attention. As far as they were concerned, it was just Matt inside, and he was expected. They were probably under orders not to interfere. Still, Brian would be in for a hell of a fight if he had to get out on his own.

That wouldn't happen. Matt was going to get Rho back, then bust his way out however he had to. Then, they'd stop this group once and for all.

Matt didn't keep track of exactly how long the drive down took, but eventually the ramp ended. After a final sharp turn, they faced a pair of large metal doors, with an elaborate circular locking mechanism at its center. "Well, I think this is my stop," Brian said.

"You sure?" Matt asked.

"Of course," Brian replied. "That's why I came, isn't it? I'll find their stores of serum and destroy it, along with any computers I see."

Matt reached to the dashboard, switching off the stealthing systems and window tint. "You be careful, ok?" He extended a hand.

Brian simply looked at the hand for a moment, then slowly took it and shook. "I will. You too." He grabbed his sword, unlocked the door, and was gone. There were no vampires nearby… yet. Likely they were waiting for Matt to enter so they could watch whatever challenge Nekky was setting for him. Matt slowly inched Jaden closer to the door. Whatever the lock had been waiting for happened, as it suddenly started spinning clockwise. After a half turn, it stopped, and the doors parted. Matt's eyes widened as he saw what lie beyond.

He'd known Nekbrekr liked Halo. He didn't know Nekbrekr liked Halo THIS MUCH.

Inside, nestled within the cylindrical space inside the long spiral he'd driven to get down there, was a massive, nearly perfect recreation of Headlong, one of Halo 2's multiplayer levels.

Jaden continued forward. Matt brought her to a stop just inside the door, which closed and sealed behind him. The whole of the area looked like a city under construction. There were a few pieces of roadway, a mostly complete high-rise building to his left, and the shell of another to his right. By experience, he knew that the one to the right had a series of ramps leading to the upper levels some hundred or so feet up, and was a perfect sniper vantage point.

Luckily, Jaden's new armor and windows should be able take a sniper bullet with no problem.

Should.

Ahead of him, where there would normally be a ledge, was a dirt ramp leading to the large patch of dirt before him. It stretched between the buildings all the way to a road which led to the back part of the level.

He heard something… It sounded a little like a voice. Looking to the driver's side window, he noticed a speaker pointed at him. He rolled down the window a tad. "Yeah," Nekbrekr's voice came from the speaker, "that's better. Head over to the garage Warthog spawn. I'll tell you more once you're there. And don't worry. The game hasn't started. I'm not going to shoot you… yet." The speaker clicked off.

Matt rolled the window back up, running his Halo knowledge through his head as he tried to figure out what the game was. He already head a decent idea, but he wanted to wait for Nekbrekr's explanation. He started the Jaden off the platform and down the ramp, again switching the car to off-road mode. Carefully, he made his way across the level, to the asphalt on the far side, and turned left behind the more complete high-rise. Normally a pair of Warthogs, jeep-like vehicles usually armed with a triple-barreled machine gun, sat in the shadows where he parked Jaden. The area was now surrounded by a red box painted on the ground. He switched off the car's engine and exited.

Nekbrekr's voice again broke through the air. "All right, let's get on with this. Welcome, Jemmat, to my challenge grounds. I had this place built years ago to help settle leadership disputes. Anyone who wanted to challenge me could, right here." He chuckled. "As you can no doubt guess, I haven't lost. Let's see how you fare?" There was a momentary pause. "This is an objective game, Halo rules. No vehicles, two weapons at any given time. Use what's on the ground, or what's in your car, I don't care. When you step out of the box, the game starts." Matt could almost hear Nekky's 'hunter stalking prey' smile. "Good hunting." The speaker clicked off.


	16. Chapter 15

Both barracks had been cleared out by the time Seras's assault team arrived. This was expected. Harison's team moved for the administration buildings while Seras's team moved on the garage. They found a few defensive ghouls, quickly taken down by a combination of MP5 and automatic Glock fire. In the garage, though was a large metal platform. It was roughly square and took up most of the floor space, but there was no obvious control for it. "Likely below," Seras concluded. They checked the garage for anything else worth noting, and on finding nothing joined Harison's group in the admin buildings.

As they approached, however, a single soldier emerged and started for them. He reported that Harison had, indeed, found something and wanted them to join the main group immediately.

Seras followed the soldier through the building, passing a number of ash piles with the occasional ghoul chunk. Entering an office lobby of some sort, Seras could see where the troops had torn down a piece of the wall to reveal an elevator. "Alucard's already headed down," Harison informed her. "Looking for the leader of this little operation. Figured you'd want us to wait for you, though. Find anything?"

She told him of the platform, and he agreed with her conclusions. "I also think we should keep a squad up here to keep watch for any vampires attempting to escape."

"Agreed," Harison replied. "Fourth squad, you're on guard duty. Everyone else, downstairs."

* * *

Alucard stalked the lower levels of the base, Jackal and Titan in his hands. Titan remained pointed in the direction he was headed, while Jackal moved to aim down each corridor he passed. He had yet to find anything. That made sense; the vampires were likely busy preparing to move, or counter the troops above.

The humans could deal with the ghouls with little trouble, and the Police Girl was strong enough to deal with most of the vampires there. Alucard's target was the head vampires of this place; the one Matt had called KC. In this herd of weak blooded vampires, KC was the one most likely to present some small challenge.

The brightly lit, modern construction hall ended with a single, windowless door. Alucard already knew that his target stood within, several other vampires nearby. They were either guards or assisting him in packing, but either way they were about to be silenced. He approached the door, and with a single punch removed the door from its hinges. The vampires swung to face him, Alucard quickly identifying KC. He aimed his cannon like pistols at the others and opened fire.

The room was filled with the suddenly created ash cloud, which slowly dissipated to show only himself and KC standing in the room. To his credit, KC didn't look afraid. He simply grabbed a large caliber pistol of his own and returned fire. Alucard felt the hot lead pass through his shoulder, but chuckled as it quickly healed. "Is that the best you can do?" Alucard asked. He added to his response with a bullet into KC's left elbow.

The arm separated, but started to heal. Alucard smirked. KC wasn't a weak blood. The night might still be interesting.

Not waiting for the arm to rebuild itself, KC attacked. He dropped the pistol, and his right hand seemed to morph into a crude bone blade. Alucard raised an eyebrow. Either KC had been dipping into his enhancement serum supply, or he'd already had a decent level of ability. He stepped out of the way of KC's stabbing and slashing attacks, goading him by making the occasional strike, usually as a slap of some kind.

After all, his last chance to have fun with Anderson had been cut woefully short. Toying with this upstart vampire was the closest thing he would get until they managed to cross paths again.

By this time, KC's arm had about repaired itself, his left hand turning into a mirror of his right. The extra bone blade did mean Alucard had to be a bit more nimble, but that just added to the challenge of the night. Alucard's counter strikes became more potent, managing to rock KC back several times after a rather intense attack on his part.

He knew Seras's progress in the bases upper underground levels, and before too long she would be approaching his location. As focused as she could be, he wasn't sure if she would wait for him to finish KC off, or just attack straight off. Still, there might be a more interesting way to introduce her to the battle…

* * *

The upper levels had given them a fair amount of information, most of it actually good. They'd had to deal with the occasional attack and new form of ghoul ambush. Several times, a pair of vampires would attack their front while hidden door panels slid open behind them, releasing a small mob of ghouls. Luckily, their rear guard kept good watch in both directions, and had enough firepower to mow down the approaching ghouls.

Another time, panels opened behind and ahead, filling the corridors around them with ghouls. The first group were quickly blown to pieces, as Seras had managed to bring Harkonnen with her into the underground portion of the base. A single incendiary charge cleared their front, while the combined firepower of many MP5s cleared their rear.

They continued ahead, checking each door they came across. As first they found meeting places, barracks, and rooms for blood storage. Then they hit paydirt. A command and control room.

It had taken an assault by the forward troops, led by Harison and Seras, but they'd managed to take out every vampire in the room. A couple of the cross-trained tech soldiers then entered and started their work. Seras studied the room for a moment. A bank of computers along one wall, with status displays on the other. It was all well lit, either by florescent lights or LEDs.

One of the soldiers grabbed Harison's and Seras's attention. They converged on him. "I've found blueprints to this facility," he reported. Pointing to the screen, he said, "We're here. This level seems to be more administration, like the building above us, along with supplied and sleeping quarters. The next level down has research, construction, and storage for their enhancement serum. There's also a series of connecting tunnels out to some kind of distribution center."

Seras nodded. "That would be the platform I found. It's a lift from the lower level."

"So it would seem," Harison replied. "I'll keep a couple squads up here to finish clearing this level. Take the others and secure the next one. Jacobs will be your XO."

"Yes, sir." Time was of the essence. If the serum and the lift were both on the lower level, their enemy could try to slip it past them. That could not happen.

"I will also leave a few soldiers here. They can use the blueprints to guide us, as needed."

Seras nodded agreement. Harison wished her luck and started away. Seras gathered the squads assigned to her, told Jacobs his assignment, and led the way back into the corridor. They were guided to a small lift leading to the next level. A fast inspection showed there was barely enough room for Harkonnen, but still Seras brought it along. Joshua was a powerful pistol, but past that all they had were nine millimeter weapons. Seras wanted an additional power weapon with the team.

The lower level was much like the upper. Modern construction; metals and plastics, with ample lighting. Many of the doors were already open, reminding Seras that Alucard was down there somewhere. She hadn't heard from him in some time… meaning he was likely engaged in combat.

Normally that thought would make her nervous, knowing he was fighting and she wasn't there to help him. Now, though, she felt unchanged. She had a mission to complete, as did he. If their paths crossed she would assist, if she could, and if not she would continue ahead.

Before she could debate further, she heard an alarm from their rear guard. All team members swung around and took aim at the approaching foe, several vampires and many ghouls. These vampires were tougher, taking multiple hits to silence, though the ghouls were unchanged from before. Seras knew they had to be using the serum. If they didn't hurry, they would be too late.

Seras turned to continue leading her people down the corridor, when suddenly the wall ahead of them exploded…

* * *

Matt opened his car's back hatch, then lifted the false floor panel. Instead of the standard spare tire, he was met by his weapons storage. He looked over them for a moment, briefly debating what he should bring. In the end, though, he decided that if Nekky wanted to put rules on the fight he really couldn't argue. He had Rho, likely where the red flag would spawn on this level.

He grabbed his backpack frame, loading up a number of magazines for Matilda and Spitfire. When he got to Rho, if she was still in shape to fight, he'd give back Spitfire and find another weapon. He loaded up weapons, closed the hatch, and yanked Matilda's charging bolt.

Time for a situation assessment. He wasn't sure how Nekbrekr's skills translated into real life, but for the moment he would assume his to be using a sniper rifle / shotgun combination. He would be somewhere up high, keeping eye on Matt's possible approach paths.

Matt was fast, but he was nowhere near as tough as a Halo Spartan II. He needed to make sure he didn't get hit. He switched back to Spitfire, quickly remembering the weapon and the modifications it had received over the years. Its scope would be most helpful. Sure, his vampiric vision could do the job too, but he'd always been a bit faster with a scope.

He approached the corner of the building, heading back the way he'd driven. Just past the building was a short decline which would take him next to a decent sized block of concrete. It included a stairwell, which would lead to a bridge over to one of the high-rise buildings on the far side of the level. He wouldn't be in the same one as Rho, but there were other walkways and bridges that would take him to her, and he would have a decent amount of cover.

Leaning around the corner, he brought up Spitfire and looked through its scope, checking out the likely sniper spots. He saw nothing, and decided to chance it. He took a few steps back, then ramped up to a full sprint as he left the cover of the building. He tore down the street, down the small hill, and came to a stop behind the concrete structure.

He hadn't heard anyone take a shot at him yet. Nekky might have been working his way from the red flag spawn point, not yet in position.

Still, Matt wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. He pulled himself up to a ledge, then started for the stairs. At the base of the stairs he saw a pair of grenades. They looked intact and untampered, so he carefully picked them up and clipped them to his holster belt. He carefully climbed the stairs, frequently sweeping the area with his scope.

Just below the top of the stairs he dropped to a knee, continuing his sweep. By now, Nekbrekr was keeping watch. Matt found a ledge on the building past his destination, and saw the barrel of a sniper rifle sticking out from it. It was focused on another bridge across the level; a more direct route to Rho.

It was also the path Matt chose least often, which was why Nekky was watching it. Still, it would take just one glance his way to end this game. He needed to distract Nekky somehow. Keeping that spot locked in his aim without the scope, Matt stood and finished climbing the stairs. The bridge was fifteen feet to his left, the door another twenty after that. He started to run, checking Nekky with the scope every so often.

He saw the rifle move. Nekbrekr was checking this way. Matt didn't give him a chance, switching Spitfire to its three round burst mode and opening fire. His bullets landed all around Nekky, a few taking out chunks of concrete or sparking against the metal walkway on which Nekbrekr lay. The rifle quickly disappeared from the ledge, but Matt didn't stop firing until he was under cover. He switched magazines, then switched to Matilda. He had his high explosive shells loaded. Not exactly a Halo weapon, but Nekky hadn't said anything against it.

He started up a flight of concrete stairs, swinging his shotgun around the hard right corner partway up. Nekbrekr hadn't arrived yet, but he was anticipating it. A vampire could make the distance between buildings quickly; probably faster than a Spartan. Matt checked the area. There was a walkway around the outside corner of the building, a wall splitting the room in half. In the far corner was a short bridge to a walkway connecting this building to the next. That was the way to Rho.

Matt approached one of the doors to the outside corner walkway, leaning enough around the corner to get an eye outside for a brief moment and ensure Nekky wasn't waiting for him there. It was clear. He turned to reenter the room, and almost immediately jumped back onto the walkway and behind cover. A burst of shotgun fire followed much too closely for comfort. He saw where one of shot pellets had impacted the walkway, and saw a small swath of silver. 'Nekky ain't dumb.' He leaned back around the corner and opened fire.

It was a bold move; one he normally wouldn't have pulled in the game. Nekbrekr had probably been expecting him to drop to the ground and run, as his vampiric enhancement would allow him to survive the fall. Nekky was out in the open as the first HE slugs flew. He was fast, though. He managed to dodge a majority of the incoming fire, but one round managed to tag him in the leg, blowing away a chunk of his thigh. Nekbrekr pushed off with his good leg, firing another pair of rounds from his shotgun as he was propelled out the open doorway and over the short bridge.

Matt chased after him, stopping on the bridge and switching to Spitfire. Nekbrekr's leg had already healed, and he was making a break for cover. Matt ducked back as more silver shot flew past him, then returned the favor with a series of three round bursts. He missed, and Nekky escaped.

This was strange, Matt had to admit. Here Nekbrekr was in charge of a group attempting to strengthen weak blood vampires, and Nekky himself seemed at least a mid blood, if not a strong blood himself. He wasn't doing this for himself?

Was he trying to raise an army?

On second though, that, in ways, made more sense. It also made it more imperative to stop him.

He switched back to Matilda, loading in a magazine of silver slugs. Next time Nekky decided to tangle at close range, he would be ready.

* * *

Seras held out an arm, holding her team back as the wall ahead fell apart. She saw crossed arms trying to protect a head, its owner being carried and slammed through the walls by… "Alucard!" He didn't respond, simply continuing his charge through the corridor's other wall. She turned to Jacobs. "Continue the sweep and meet up with Commander Harison as soon as possible."

"Yes, Ma'am," he replied.

With that, Seras charged down the hall and enter the hole, following Alucard through the destruction. She had to move fast; the wreckage was crumbling behind her, but she managed to exit the tunnel before it collapsed. She swung her pistols around, checking the area. It was some kind of disbursement center; a large garage with a number of trucks and stores of the orange serum. It also had a large metal platform sunk into the floor. She looked up, seeing a similarly sized hatch in the ceiling. They had to be directly below the garage she'd seen up top.

She quickly reached behind her, ensuring that Harkonnen was still strapped to her back and intact.

Then she heard a sound similar to someone hitting a side of beef with a plank of wood.

Seras started moving toward the sound, keeping her twin Glocks before her. Stepping around one of the trucks, she saw the cause. Alucard, getting strangely more physical than usual, was beating the crap out of one of the enemy commanders… From the looks of him, he matched Matt's description of KC. Alucard looked up to her. "Perhaps you would like to try? I believe I have found a good source of stress relief."

"Since when are you ever stressed?" Seras continued to approach, keeping her Glocks in hand but no longer aimed. "Does he know anything about what Matt's up against?"

"Let's find out." But as Alucard turned back to KC, backup arrived. A dozen ghouls supported by a pair of vampires entered the room, very close to them. Seras immediately engaged, sending bursts of fire from her Glocks at the ghouls. Alucard focused on the vampires, but he'd already put a few rounds through KC during their earlier dueling. The other vampires fell quickly, but he was out of ammo. He started reloading turning back to KC.

But KC hadn't been as damaged as he appeared. He'd managed to pull himself to his feet and start staggering away. Alucard slid a new pair of magazines home and cycled the slides, but KC had been too close to his target.

KC grabbed hold of a large container of the thick, orange enhancement serum and tipped it over. Large globs of it flowed down his throat. If the vials they'd seen were any indication, he'd already vastly exceeded the standard dosage, and was still increasing.

Alucard, his pistols ready, fired. The bullets punched through KC's shoulders, but caused no apparent damage. Seras returned to his side, the ghouls silenced.

KC turned to face them, his face contorting into a deranged grin as the veins in his neck started to bulge. The muscles on his arms started to expand, almost as a slow, steady wave moving along his body.

Seras holstered her Glocks and swung Harkonnen into her arms, loading one of her incendiary shells. This fight was far from over.

* * *

Matt had reached the walkway and crossed to the next bridge. The long, narrow, metal bridge would talk him very close, if not right to, where the red flag would spawn in multiplayer games. That's where he would find Rho.

He wasn't sure where Nekbrekr would turn up next, so he'd switched over to Spitifre for the extra range. He swept the rifle back and forth, looking at likely angles for attack. He would have run across the bridge, but he might run into a trap. For all he knew, Nekbrekr had included rockets in his game.

Matt was nearly across, ready to make a sprint for cover, when he heard a familiar whine sound. His eyes grew wide with recognition. He turned to his right and saw Nekbrekr. He'd gotten to a higher level and held a chain gun turret, its broken mount hanging below it, barrels spinning.

Matt stepped back, dropping from the bridge as Nekbrekr opened fire. His bullets tore into the bridge, punching through after a few seconds of fire. Matt hit the ground and allowed his body to collapse into a heap, absorbing the impact with as little damage as possible. Somehow, he kept from breaking a leg, got back to his feet, and sent several bursts of fire at Nekbrekr.

But Nekbrekr was on the move as well. He'd grabbed onto a repelling rope, certainly not Halo standard, and slid down to ground level. Chain gun still in hand, he was charging. Matt started for cover. The building he'd been approaching had a large open bottom floor. Ramps along the inside walls and an enclosed stairwell gave access to the upper levels. But first, he needed to deal with his pursuit. He pulled the grenades from his belt, removed the pins by biting on them and yanking hard, and tossed them toward the door. He made it into the stairwell as they detonated.

Once at the top of the stairs, he was careful to make sure Nekky wasn't nearby before once more starting out from cover. He wasn't out a dozen steps before he had sight of the flag spawn point… and Rho.

She was suspended by the ceiling, held by cables and gagged. But she was still alive, well, relatively speaking. And she was conscious. She spotted Matt, and he could see the relief in her eyes. 'Is it really you?' he heard her ask in his mind. 'He's been trying to trick me, but he's never set off bombs before.'

He smiled. 'It's me, Rho. Let's get you out of here. Can you fight?'

'I think so… Get me down from here.'

'Will do.' He jogged over, and within a few minutes managed to release her bonds. He caught her as she was suddenly released, steadying her on her feet and handing her Spitfire.

She shouldered the weapon and looked through the sight. 'Yeah,' she replied, 'I'm ok to fight.'

The speakers squawked, and Nekbrekr's voice returned. "Good job," he said. "Now let's see if you can get her back to your base."

"What does that mean?" Rho said, obviously abandoning stealth.

"Seems you're a flag today. Nekbrekr's probably camping somewhere with a sniper rifle, or will be soon."

Rho looked around, as if trying to find vantage points. "It's a legitimate strategy, right?"

Matt gave a soft smile. "True, but today it's very inconvenient." He looked to the wall and saw a sniper rifle propped against it. He reached over to grab it. "But if that's the game he wants to play, we'll play it." He checked the magazine; full. He had four rounds ready to fly. "But we'll play it smart. If we follow this ramp around, we'll find a couple doors. Not the best cover, but we'll be able to hit a decent part of the level. If Nekky's waiting for us, we'll be able to spot him."

Rho cycled Spitfire's bolt. "I'm ready."

Matt led the way up the ramp, around the corner, and to the sniper spot. Problem was, one of them was on the far side of an external walkway, and there wasn't much cover. Matt checked the area, but didn't see anything obvious. "Okay," he said to Rho, "I'm gonna run over there." He gestured to where a couple concrete blocks gave cover at the walkway's corner. "Stick around here and see if Nekky tries to take a shot at me."

"You got it." Rho moved over and scanned the area through Spitfire's scope.

With no further preamble, he ran for it. He sprinted along the walkway. There was one place to stop; a piece of cover halfway down the walkway. He came to an abrupt halt, and with a whiz sound saw a silver bullet skip off the surface of the bridge. He heard a burst of fire behind him as Rho fired back. Matt dropped to a knee and swung around the block, shouldering the sniper rifle and peering through its scope. There was another line running along one of the buildings on the far side of the level to a good, high sniper position. Normally, one would need a Banshee flyer to get there. It was also one of Nekbrekr's favorite spots. He found his foe, his rifle aimed to the side. Nekbrekr fired, and Matt heard his round skip off the bridge near Rho. "I'm all right!" he heard her yell.

Nekbrekr's rifle swung back over toward Matt. But this time, it was Nekbrekr who was too late. Matt pulled the trigger.


	17. Chapter 16

Well, I'll admit that Matt and Nekbrekr's final battle came to be because of the bad guy's name. I mean, I was using a Halo gamertag name for the bad guy. Why not use the game as inspiration for the battle? That turned into Headlong, since we played rocket/snipe on it pretty frequently. (And he really was a damn good shot with a sniper rifle, but I could be an artist with the rocket launcher.)

Still, Nekky was a bad guy. A Halo fan he might have been, but I don't think Bungie would have wanted to put him on a poster. Matt's a much better choice, in that regard.

As for KC, read on.

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One. Two. Three shots rang out from Matt's sniper rifle, and Nekbrekr fell. Even without the scope, Matt could see the damage he'd inflicted. It would be a while before he'd be moving.

Both he and Rho moved out, doing their best to keep an eye on Nekbrekr. He was lying in the dirt; still breathing but severely injured. Rho stopped a short distance from him, shouldering Spitfire and keeping Matt covered as he approached. Betsy lay on the ground not far from Nekky, and he made an attempt to grab it, but a trio of bullets though his arm care of Rho kept him from it. Matt dropped the sniper rifle and picked up the fallen shotgun, cycling its slide, and aiming it at Nekbrekr's head. "You win. It's Betsy."

With one final blast of gunfire, Nekbrekr was silenced.

Matt dropped Betsy onto the pile of ashes and turned to Rho. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

As KC started to mutate, Alucard watched closely for any weak spot he could exploit. The weaker vampire grew, somewhat in height but very much so in muscle mass. His fangs lengthened, and the fingers of his newly reformed arms morphed into claws. The smile remained plastered to his face, KC seeming content to wait until he was ready before engaging. He looked lazily to the side, a control on a nearby console depressing. He floor started to rise up beneath them, slowly brining them to the main level of the garage. Alucard did not mind this; it would give him more room in which to fight.

Still, remaining this close to KC would be dangerous for Seras. Before she could fire her cannon, Alucard walked over to her wrapped his arms around her, and both vanished. They reappeared outside the above ground garage, and Alucard released her. "Tell the human troops to remain inside the base, and away from this battle. It is for us alone."

Seras keyed her radio and started passing orders, and the few troops that had remained to guard the garage came running out. Suddenly, the main door of the garage exploded outward, the shards missing Seras and Alucard but the dust cloud rolling past them.

The fewer troops who had debated staying to watch changed their minds, turning and continuing away as quickly as possible. Alucard didn't blame them. Few humans could withstand battling against a monster of this size. There was little reason for them to ignore their orders.

His attention returned to KC. He'd already showed Integra what they faced through their bond, and her instructions were clear: silence this monster by any means necessary. Situation A release. He smirked. Tonight would be a fun night.

"What's happened to him?" Seras asked. She had her cannon at the ready, looking at the grotesque form of KC as he took two powerful steps forward, as if he were trying to shake the ground beneath them.

"His demon has taken him; an uncontrolled reaction of darkness."

"Like what happened to Matt?"

Alucard shook his head. "No. In Matt was a constant struggle between his light and dark influences, though his darkness had been given a boost from his premature power release. This is much different. He's given himself completely to his darkness."

Seras paused in thought, and Alucard could feel her checking on Matt. "Matt might have succeeded in silencing Nekbrekr."

"Which has driven KC to madness."

She looked between Alucard and KC, neither one moving. "Then why hasn't he attacked us?"

"Simple, Police Girl." He looked to her with a smirk. "He wants us to make the first move." His sunglasses slid down his nose a tad as he looked back at KC, a bright red eye visible to Seras with his stare solidly fixed. "And I will take him up on that offer." Alucard's pistols disappeared into his trench coat. He held his hands out a little away from his sides, the seal on his right hand starting to glow an angry red as his smirk turned into a fang baring tooth grin. "Releasing control art restriction system. Situation A release level one. The Cromwell Approval is now in effect. Hold release until the target is silenced."

Alucard reached deep into his mind, to where the binds placed on him by the Hellsing family kept his demon in check. As he reached for them, they fell away by Integra's command. He could feel his demons there, growling, waiting for a chance to break free. Both he and they would be fed that night; this battle would be the greatest test he'd found since he had his final duel with Shakrik. Seras looked up at him as he threw off his trench coat and knocked his wide brim hat from his head. The red body suit he wore beneath it would give him far better agility, and he wanted to be fast. "Master?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, Police Girl," Alucard replied as he drew his arms up in an X cross before his face. "Watch closely, for tonight you shall see how real vampires do battle!" Alucard whipped his arms down, and this time they exploded. His hell hound familiars burst forth; black and covered with what looked like many red eyes. Alucard's black hair started to rise, and Alucard with it.

It seemed this was the move KC had been waiting for, as he charged into battle with an inhuman bellow. He drew back one of his massive muscled arms to strike Alucard.

Alucard sent one hell hound after the arm. The other he sent after KC's throat.

* * *

Matt slammed the driver's door closed as Rho entered the other side. He actually paused and chuckled as she took the time to buckle her seatbelt, then followed her example and buckled his own. After punching the transponder, he rolled down the window and snatched one of the FN 5-7 pistols he's stashed in the door pocket, cycling its slide to chamber a round. Rho rolled down her window as well, training Spitfire out to test her aim. Even with the seatbelt fastened, she could cover the whole side of the car. The rest of their equipment was stashed in the back. He'd made sure to leave a little room, but didn't explain why when Rho asked. Claimed there was no time and to just trust him.

He fired up the engine, swung the car around in reverse, and charged his way back across the level, up the ramp, and back into the base. He dropped the car back to road mode inside, simply giving a smile when Rho noted her pleasure that the car was fully functional.

Obviously, the battle had been watched. Brian had probably been noted as well. Either way, Matt and Rho came under attack almost the moment they reentered the spiral corridor of the base. They opened fire as vampires attempted to board the car, and Matt ran down ghouls too slow to stagger out of the way. Matt's only objective now was to meet up with any friendly forces, be that Brian or the DPSD, who were hopefully already on their way inside. Then, it would be time to destroy this threat once and for all.

Matt approached a corner, whipping Jaden around and was met by a dissolving ghoul being hurled upon the windshield. Luckily, it had the decency to wait until it was clear to turn to ash, and the windshield remained clear. Matt saw Brian, his twin blade sword swinging in wide arcs around him as he battled with a number of vampires. He'd charged the sword with his holy magic, the blades glowing bright silver. Rho paused from firing long enough to ask, "Is he a Paladin, or a Jedi?"

"Maybe a little of both," Matt replied. He slammed on the brake, swinging the car to the side and aiming straight out the window. He fired his full twenty round magazine, silencing all the vampires around Brian. After realizing he was clear, Brian turned and lifted his sword in salute. "Need a lift?" Matt asked.

"I would greatly appreciate it," Brian yelled back.

Moments later, Brian was pulling Jaden's back hatch closed behind him. Matt flipped a control the lowered the central portion of the rear windshield, which split in half lengthwise to fit. Brian grabbed Matt's FS2000, loaded a fresh magazine, and trained it out the tail of the car. "Ready."

"Then let's hit it." Matt punched the gas, once more aiming the car up the spiral corridor. He continued his offensive driving, using the car's front bumper as a weapon almost as much as his pistol, while the other two continued to pour fire from their respective windows.

They finally approached the end if the tunnel, where the ramp had allowed Matt and Brian access to the base. It was closed again, but Matt could see a control room off to the side. "Rho!" he shouted over the gunfire. "Can you see that?" He took the moment needed to point.

"Yeah!" she shouted back.

"When I swing by, you jump out and find the button that lowers the ceiling ramp." Matt fired another pair of rounds out the window. "I'll come pick you up when you're done."

"Got it!"

A number of ghouls had been arrayed before the door, but they would be no matter. Matt charged them and, with moments to spare, grabbed the emergency brake and yanked it up. The rear tires abruptly stopped, and with a swing on the steering wheel Matt brought the rear end of the car around. Jaden's rear quarter panel became a massive club, slamming against the ghouls and blowing them to pieces.

And, it put Rho in a perfect position to leap straight from the car to the control room.

Matt gunned the engine, the car leaping forward to avoid incoming fire from a new group of vampires. "By the way," Matt shouted back to Brian, "you have any luck down there?"

"I did," he shouted back between volleys of fire. "I located their stores of serum and destroyed them."

"Excellent!" Matt replied. "I knew you were the right man for the job!"

Within another magazine, Matt could see the ramp swinging down from the corner of his eye. He gave a quick look, seeing a pair of headlights poised at the top. Matt floored it, getting Jaden out of the way and back to the control room as the first Humvee launched itself down the ramp, mowing down ghouls with a combination of its fifty caliber machine gun and its front bumper. Two more joined it. Matt's radio crackled back to life. "Figured you'd like some company, Matt."

Matt grabbed the radio and keyed it. "Figured right, Aki. This place is crawling with bad guys. But Nekbrekr's been silenced and their serum stores are smashed. Let's fill this place with good guys and take 'em down."

The trio of Humvees started a rolling patrol from the top of the base to the bottom and back while the troops cleared the base, room by room. Matt and Rho teamed up with a pair of squads, Akira and Brian doing the same with another pair. The loss of the enemy's leader combined with their losses during the initial break out had all but crushed them. It was only a matter of time before the combined forces of the DPSD, one Iscariot paladin, and two Hellsing vampires won the day.

* * *

This fight wasn't the same as the one against Shalrik. KC's attacks were all physical, and he had no ghouls or vampires fighting with him. Still, he was a tougher target than Shalrik. Seras loaded her next depleated uranium shell, waited for Alucard to pause his attack for a moment, and launched it at KC. It still didn't seem to be causing much damage, but Seras hadn't been able to get a good look at a wound. Usually, KC struck at her, forcing her to fall back as Alucard started his next attack run.

Alucard's hellhound familiars were taking their toll on KC as well, likely causing more damage with each bite than Seras could with each of her rounds. She suddenly heard several bursts of gunfire to her side, stealing a glance to see a number of vampires managing to slip by the human troops. Their attention quickly swung to her.

Four managed to reach her. It seemed they figured four to one odds would work for them.

Seras tossed Harkonnen aside and drew Joshua. She would have to silence these vampires quickly. The first one fell to ashes as it touched the ground to make another long distance leap. The second was silenced as it passed by her. Two down, two to go.

They made another leap, landing directly before and behind her. She put all her enhanced strength into a kick that caught one in the crotch, likely causing great pain along with sending him flying. The last one managed to grab hold of her arm and strip Joshua from her right hand. Her left had already snaked from the vampire's grasp, grabbed one of her Glocks, and aimed where she figured its head would be. She held the trigger down, sending a full magazine into the air behind her.

The vampire fell to ash.

Reclaiming Joshua, she started searching for the last vampire. She got a wave from one of the sergeants, informing her that the base was now clean. This would be the last one before taking down KC.

She stole another glance at the continuing battle. KC's attacks were still coming fast and fierce, but Alucard was simply laughing at him and moving to cause KC's strikes to hit nothing but air. Now and then he sent his familiars in to tear chunks of mutated flesh away from KC's form, but KC hadn't slowed yet.

She found the vampire. It tried leaping at her, and while she couldn't get Joshua aimed in time she was able to fall backwards, catch him on her legs, and send him flying away once again. He landed near Alucard and KC's battle, where a quick strike by a familiar sent him flying again, only this time missing a leg.

KC seemed to have noticed this. He grabbed a protruding shard of bone, remnant from a rib damaged by Alucard, and threw it at the vampire hard enough to impale it halfway through the vampire's stomach.

For a moment, Seras thought he'd killed the vampire for getting in the way. Then, she saw a similar mutation start. It wasn't nearly to the level as KC, but his damage was healed and his muscles enhanced.

Seras got up and sprinted, coming to a sliding halt near Harkonnen and loading another shell. The vampire was already a good seven feet tall and as broad as an American football linebacker. She shouldered the cannon, aimed at the vampire's chest, and fired.

It didn't blow a hole in him, but it managed to blow off a good portion of the surface of his chest. She quickly focused her mind to link with Alucard. 'Alucard, it looks like this serum gives thick bone armor to the vampire's heart.' She reloaded with an explosive shell, aimed, and fired again.

The bone armor plate shattered, shards flying away in all directions. She drew Joshua, loaded a fresh magazine, and put all six rounds into the monster's exposed heart. It slowed to a stop, shuddered, and fell over. It started to turn gray, falling to ash from its heart outward. It was silenced. 'Alucard!'

'I saw, Seras. I have an idea.'

Seras looked up to him. Alucard's hair morphed into a sort of black blob, reaching back to grab his fallen trench coat. The blob pushed its way into the cloak, coming out holding all of Alucard's remaining Jackal and Titan magazine. It enveloped them, and moments later the magazines, power, and cartridges all fell to the ground.

The blob now reached over to her, touching the ground. When it pulled away, there was a single shell sitting before her. The blob retreated, reverting to Alucard's long black hair.

Seras looked at the shell. Alucard had taken all his rounds and crafted a single round for Seras's Harkonnen; silver with a mercury charge. Seras swung the ammunition box from her back and retrieved one of her explosive shells. Carefully, she yanked the shell from the cartridge then, once again thankful she was wearing her gloves, picked up the anti-vampire shell and set it onto the cartridge, using her strength to crimp the top of the cartridge back into place around it.

It wasn't perfect. The power inside might be too strong or too weak, but it was the best she could do right then.

But first, to get her target. She loaded another explosive shell and got set. 'Ready, Alucard.'

Alucard started another attack. Each of his familiar split in two, and the now four hellhounds converged at KC's chest. The monster was pushed back, trying desperately to halt the attack as his chest was shredded. Alucard pulled back, and Seras saw her target exposed. She fired, and KC's bone armor was destroyed.

But she was only halfway there. Seras loaded the anti-vampire shell, hoping it would hold together long enough to strike, and shouldered the cannon once more. Alucard had struck again, keeping KC distracted just long enough. This time, though, he didn't fall back. His hellhounds wrapped around KC, holding his limbs in place. 'Now. Fire now,' came his calm order.

Seras fired.

Somehow, the cannon accepted the round. The shell itself didn't fall apart mid-flight. And the monster wasn't able to move out of the way. The round struck KC's heart, the mercury charge releasing. KC slowly stopped struggling, falling to his knees. The cracked gray spread over his body like a cancer, and he fell backwards into a cloud of ashes.

The battle was over. Hellsing had won.


	18. Chapter 17

Messages had been passed in a fury back and forth, so everyone knew the outcomes of each battle long before they met back up. That didn't stop Matt from grabbing Seras in a bear hug the moment he saw her back at base. To Alucard he simply gave a nod, which the elder vampire seemed to reply, though Rebecca could have imagined it.

Once everyone had dropped off their gear and cleaned up they met in Sir Integra's office. The four vampires, plus Harison, Fargason, and Walter all gathered before Sir Integra's desk. "We have received no further reports of activities by the Nameless Organization. With their main bases destroyed, it would seem likely we will not hear from them again."

Matt spoke up, a little early for him. "And what of the serum? We gonna just let it sit around again?" Rebecca could note an edge to his voice, one she hadn't heard much before… She let it slide, deciding to ask about it later.

Walter looked to Sir Integra. Maybe he'd asked her that very question before and was waiting for her response? Either way, Sir Integra responded. "All information pertaining to the serum will be erased, and all samples will be destroyed. Walter, keep records on what the serum was and what it was capable of doing, but keep no information that could allow it to be recreated."

"Yes, Sir Integra."

Matt seemed satisfied as well. He gave a respectful nod, and Rebecca could feel him calm.

"For now," Sir Integra said, "continue to monitor the situation. You may all stand down for the time being. Dismissed."

* * *

"So, settling in well over there?"

Over the vid monitor in the Hellsing basement communications room, Brian Malcolm nodded. "Yes, I would have to say so. And you were right, Matt. These are good people. It may take some time, but I think I will be able to find my place here."

Matt Jemeth nodded back. "You don't think Iscariot will come after you for leaving?"

Brian shook his head. "No, I don't think so. While many of those at Iscariot have great dislike of Hellsing, there are none with those feelings about the DPSD. I doubt I will hear anything from them again."

Matt could hear the edge of sadness in Brian's voice. "Well, I'm not sure if it means anything, but I'm sorry for what happened, and I'm glad you came with me."

"Your mission was a good one. I felt it needed to succeed, and it had a greater chance of that with my participation." He paused. "There are people I will miss from Iscariot, but I am sure that at least a few of them will remain in contact with me."

"I hope so, Brian. But for what it's worth, and if it's something you don't find too disagreeable, you can think of me as a friend."

Another pause, but not quite as long as the previous one. "I think I could live with that."

* * *

Rebecca gave one last look to the e-mail. She's started typing it up soon after they'd been dismissed, as a few had come in over the past number of days. She was in a much better frame of mind than when she'd sent the last e-mail home, even after what happened. Nekbrekr hadn't really done anything to her, just knocked her unconscious and tied her up. She wasn't the one he was after; she was simply a means to get Matt right where Nekbrekr wanted him. Rebecca had been worried about it. Matt seemed ok. He'd been really nice to her since she'd gotten there. She really didn't want to be responsible for his demise.

But in the end it seemed she had nothing to worry about. He came for her, saved her, and together they stopped Nekbrekr from hurting anyone else. And in a way, that helped her figure out a good cover story for what she was doing in England. She'd spoken with Walter after the debriefing, and he felt it could work well, or at least well enough.

All in all, she liked this e-mail more than the last one she'd sent.

_Hey, all!_

_Life's calming down a bit now, so I can actually give you a semi-decent message._

_I wanted to let you know that everything is okay. I read through the last e-mail I sent and I know it seemed a little… ambiguous. Things are going well, and I expect them to continue to do so._

_Unfortunately, I'm not sure when I'll be able to get back next. I did end up getting a job here. It's a research organization in England. They do work in a lot of different fields, and I'm still trying to find my exact niche in the organization, but from what I've seen here I should be able to find exactly what I want to do. They try to keep out of the limelight, though, so they can do their work effectively, so I can't say much more about it, but it's important work. We're helping a lot of people, and I can do a lot of good here._

_And even if I don't know exactly when I'll be able to visit, they've told me they've got no problems with me keeping in touch, either e-mail or phone, so long as I don't talk about work._

_I've already made some good friends here, folks I know I can rely on no matter what happens here. But I do miss you all, and I will come to visit as soon as I can. I'll keep in touch and let you know when that'll happen._

_I hope all is well there. Please write back when you all can and let me know. I love you all._

_-Rebecca_

* * *

Matt tossed his mission jacket onto the back of a chair. It seemed he appreciated real down time most after something major, like the most recent flurry of fighting. With all hope, it would be a while before they went to crisis mode again. Still, he was happy with what happened.

Well… most of what happened. He was lightly kicking himself for what happened with Nekbrekr. He never could have possibly seen it coming, and he knew it, but he was still kicking himself. 'At least I didn't go evil this time.' He was mostly over that, but it was probably like the Dark Side of the Force. "Forever will it dominate your destiny."

Even if a part of it remained in him, he wasn't too concerned. He knew the bind would hold, and past that he had new reasons to stay where he was. He had someone counting on him now, and that responsibility felt better than any other he'd had to carry in a long time.

'Get used to the weight, Young Jemeth. The bond between you and Conway is strong now. Now, more than ever, she is your fledgling as if you had turned her yourself.'

Matt looked in the general direction of the ceiling. "I understand, Alucard," he said to the air, knowing the elder vampire would hear him. "And I can handle it."

'I'm not the one you need to convince, Jemeth.'

"I know. I am. Still, if you ever have a pointer or two…"

Matt heard Alucard chuckle. 'Direct your questions to your own master, Jemeth. I doubt you would heed any advice I gave on this matter.'

"Understood," Matt said with a slight smirk. Shaking his head, he started for the closet. He wanted to get away from headquarters for a while, and his uncle's old jacket was beckoning him.

* * *

Seras could actually hear some of Alucard's conversation with Matt. She had to admit she found it a little amusing that they actually spoke on a real topic. Still, she had her own ideas for the afternoon other than listening to them talk, so as she pushed the door closed the looked over her shoulder at Alucard, who was wearing a decent sized smirk along with his usual trench coat. 'Let it go before he actually DOES come talk to me.'

Alucard looked at her, lifting an eyebrow slightly. 'Oh? Suddenly you don't want to talk to him?'

She chuckled and smiled back. 'Not this moment. He's got other plans in mind, as so I.'

"Oh really?" Alucard replied vocally. "And what might your plans be?"

"There's something I want you to try," she said, turning to show the pair of mugs she carried. "It's something Matt introduced me to not too long after he joined us. It's called chai."


	19. Epilogue

Strange how just a few weeks, maybe a month, can make all the difference.

Rebecca walked through the hallways of the Hellsing mansion. When she'd arrived she'd been scared, alone, trying to determine if she would stand her ground here or move on. Now? She could think of few places she'd rather be.

She passed by a pair of Hellsing's soldiers. Both waved as they passed, giving a greeting which she replied to. These really were good people, and she couldn't have asked for better friends and allies.

Matt had mentioned wanting to leave the base for a while, which she was all for. They'd be working together on car repairs later in the day, patching up some dents in the car's armor and replacing a cracked piece of glass. Still, Matt had been happy with the car's performance, and had a few ideas for further improvement. Rebecca had suggested constructing some sort of test course, to make sure everything worked as he'd hoped.

That would come later, though. At that moment, neither wanted to worry about business.

She approached the mansion's front door, Matt standing there waiting for her. He spoke as she neared him. "Ready to roll?"

Rebecca nodded, gesturing for the door. "Ready."

Matt bowed his head, stepping back to open the door for her. "After you, Rho."

She smiled, stepping outside and pausing to taking in a breath of the outside air. It felt good. All of it. Rebecca looked back to Matt as he joined her. "I figured we'd head out to the coffee shop down the street again." She nodded agreement. Suddenly, he got a mischievous smirk on his face. "Wanna race?"

Rebecca didn't need any better invitation to run.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And a couple short segments to finish the story.

As for the next one, it'll be vampires, though I'm trying something a little… different. You all can feel free to discuss, debate, and guess all you'd like, but I'll confirm or deny nothing.

I'm not sure when I'll be able to start writing. Depends heavily on what happens with school the next few weeks, but I'll get to it as soon as I'm able. Updates will be posted on my user page, and I'll try to give an update the end of each month. (Starting next month.) That way, you'll know I'm still alive, at least.

I'll leave you all with one final note, the current planned title of the next story in my alternate universe Hellsing series. Hellsing: Mirrored Roles.

I wish you all well. See you next time!


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